The Kantine. The heart of the famous Burgtheater in Vienna is the only cantina in the whole of Europe where you are allowed to smoke. Whether you are smoking or not – you have to. I quit. For one year. And started again – there. It’s ugly and cold. It’s like sitting in the hallway of a hospital. The walls have strange little holes, and if you have a fever it’s getting really weird. But also if you have too much time, not knowing what to do, staring at these walls with these strange little holes, you get sick. All day long you get insulted by subliminally music from a stupid Austrian radio station. A hateful mixture between Schlager, Pop and Oldies. In the evenings after the shows, sitting there with your colleagues and your second Spritzer, you are starting to love it. Suddenly it’s the coolest, brightest and warmest place on earth. Sperrstunde. You have to leave.
Heinzi is the boss of the Kantine, my only true friend in this theatre. Heinzi is not smoking. He has a dog named Rolex. In our summer break, which is about eight weeks long, Heinzi did not go for vacation because his dog needed physiotherapy.