Einen Jux will er sich machen
On the Razzle
A farce in four acts
By Johann Nestroy
Premiere: Vienna, 16 December 1840

Characters
Zangler, a grocer in a small town
Marie, his niece and ward
Weinberl, sales assistant
Christopherl, apprentice
Kraps, servant
Mrs. Gertrud, housekeeper
Melchior, an itinerant servant
August Sonders
Hupfer, a master tailor
Madame Knorr, ladies outfitter in the capital
Mrs. von Fischer, widow
Miss Blumenblatt, Zangler’s sister-in-law
Brunninger, businessman
Philippine, milliner
Lisett, housemaid at Miss Blumenblatt’s
A caretaker
A hired coachman
A constable
Rab, a crook
1st and 2nd waiters

Zangler is refusing to let his ward Marie marry the penniless Sonders. For her protection he wants to send her to his sister-in-law in the city. Zangler tells his shop workers, Weinerbl and Christoph, of his plans – which is to marry after spending three days away in the city. He has decided to promote them in the light of his forthcoming wedding, and leaves the shop in their care while he is away. They decide to shut up shop in his absence and have one special fling before the responsibilities of their promotion ties them down. They also head off to Vienna, where they almost immediately come close to bumping into Zangler. To hide from him they duck into a lady’s clothes shop, where Weinerbl gets caught up in pretending to be the husband of a lady, Mrs Fischer, he has never met before, but who is surprised but happy to play along with the charade. Meanwhile Marie and Sonders have also come to Vienna, and are seen alighting from a coach and going into an inn. Zangler gives the order to the coachman to take them to his sister-in-law’s on their return journey. The ladies with whom Christoph and Weinerbl have hooked up, also want to go to the inn. Melchior, Zangler’s servant, appears and demands to have the whole salon for his master alone – seeing who it is, they quickly have a screen set up to hide them from Zangler. Christoph and Weinerbl can’t possibly afford the enormous bill, so they creep away unnoticed – with Christoph disguised as a lady, and climb into Sonders’ coach. The coachman and constable take them for Marie and Sonders, as do Zangler and Melchior – but then Sonders and Marie appear in the inn, and at the same time as Zangler sees his bride to be – Madame Knorr, the lady whose shop Weinerbl and Christoph had entered, and who came with them to the inn. General confusion prevails.

Weinberl and Christoph are delivered by the coachman and guard to Miss Blumenblatt, who hasn’t seen her niece for years, and therefore, finding her niece’s predicament very romantic, doesn’t notice the substitution. Melchior appears and reveals the truth of the situation, but Miss Blumenblatt doesn’t believe him. Sonders appears and makes out he is Marie’s guard – again Melchior tries to reveal the truth, but is not believed – and Miss Blumenblatt calls the constable. Zangler arrives with his bride, Madame Knorr, and Mrs. Fischer, and in the confusion, Weinberl, Christoph and Sonders manage to escape. Zangler expains who Melchior is, and hands Marie over to his sister-in-law, Miss Blumenblatt. On arriving back at the shop, Weinerbl and Christoph discover Rab and a dismissed servant of Zangler’s, Kraps, in the process of breaking in to the shop. They play a trick on them, which gives them time to catch them – Zangler arrives back at the shop as well, along with the rest of the party, and is full of praise for Weinberl and Christoph. Weinerbl manages to escape his presence in Vienna being made known by Mrs. Fischer, by offering her his hand in marriage. Meanwhile Sonders has come into an inheritance, and so the path is clear for him to marry Marie. The play ends with the prospect of three weddings.

top