The Painkiller (play)

The Painkiller is a farcical comedy play written by Francis Veber. It has been adapted and performed multiple times, most notably in a 2016 production starring Kenneth Branagh and Rob Brydon at the Garrick Theatre in London's West End. The play centers around two men in adjoining hotel rooms who, unbeknownst to each other, are both planning to commit suicide. A series of mistaken identities and misunderstandings ensues, escalating into chaotic and absurd situations. The humor derives from the characters' desperate situations, their inept attempts at ending their lives, and the increasingly complex web of lies and coincidences that connect them. While Veber is credited as the original playwright, the play is often described as an adaptation or reimagining of his earlier works, and its structure and comedic elements are reminiscent of classic farce.