A performance of the joint stage play “Bette and Joan” by Désirée Nick (67) and Anouschka Renzi (59) ended prematurely and with a moment of shock on Thursday evening (January 25th). Renzi collapsed on stage in Neuwied near Bonn and had to be treated. Now the actress spoke out to “Bild”, explained the reasons for the incident and gave her fans the all-clear.
She went on stage already weakened: “I apparently had food poisoning the day before and had to take strong medication to even get back on my feet.” However, since the play was “very physically demanding,” she obviously overexerted herself: “Apparently I wasn’t really fit again. But now I’m feeling better again.”
Her stage partner Nick also spoke up and spoke about what was going through her head when Renzi collapsed: “I was shocked that I had to fight for my colleague’s life on an open stage. I really thought Anouschka was dying in front of my eyes .”
The fact that the two women are even on the same stage together is nothing short of a miracle given their shared history. For decades there was a catfight between them – including public insults and an injunction. But around two years ago the surprising reconciliation took place.
At the time, Nick and Renzi revealed to “Bild am Sonntag” how the reconciliation came about: “At our age, neither of us has the time. Besides, I didn’t want to face the future with an open wound that was still gaping somewhere,” Nick says. Finally, Renzi was a guest on her podcast, where the discussion took place. Her conclusion: “We are both very empathetic. And Désirée is even much more empathetic than I thought.”
