The Most Beautiful Version

The late 2000s, early 2010s in a small town in eastern Germany: The Most Beautiful Version tells the story of Jella and Yannick, of first love, of wanting to do everything right. Until it all goes wrong. Back in her childhood bedroom, Jella wonders how it could have come to this. She takes another closer look: at her upbringing in Lusatia, small towns and gravel pits, gangster rap and glittery lip gloss. At friends who carried her through so much. And at the moment when Yannick's hands closed around her neck.

The Most Beautiful Version is a story of awakening, realisation, accusation, a great introspection: Ruth-Maria Thomas writes about becoming a woman, being a woman, about bodies, desires and deep abysses. With stylistic brilliance, great lightness and drama, she tells of the most beautiful things in her sparkling debut novel. And the most terrible.

«Ruth-Maria Thomas has written a poetic and, precisely because of this poetry, relentlessly honest novel about growing up in a patriarchal society ... Sarah Kohm succeeds in transferring the eloquence and tenderness of the text to the stage ... It's all pretty heavy stuff. And so it should be. And so it must be. But one of the strengths of the stage adaptation is that a subtle humour shines through in the dialogues.» (Theater der Zeit)