Vienna´s Schauspielhaus hardly ever offers run-of-the-mill productions.

So it should come as no surprise that Hotline to Heaven, one of the house´s frequent forays into musicals, tells a rather unusual story.

Subtitled "a phone-sex-musical", the plot concerns Tina, Sissy and Joanna who work at a phone-sex agency. Everything would be hotsy-totsy for Mouthy Mandy, Cocky Candy or Brenda, as their "stage-names" go, if it weren´t for phone threats uttered by a religious fanatic.

Further thrown into the mix are a gay pizza-boy, Mother Theresa and a holy cow (don´t ask!). The latter is played by author and director Barbara Spitz, who considers Hotline as "anti Lloyd-Webber" because music and dialogues are equally important to her show.

London-born Spitz has been living in Vienna since 1983 and has starred in the Schauspielhaus-productions of Rocky Horror Picture Show, The Sound of Music, Elvis and lately I Licked a Slag´s Deodorant. Morover, she was a memorable Miss Lynch in the Raimundtheater´s Grease some years ago. Tania Golden, Susa Meyer and Alexandra Schmid play Tina, Joanna and Sissy. Audience members who are turned on by the seedy songs can contact the performers by phones from their tables! And that not only goes for Wednesdays, which are singles nights.

Jesse Webb, Dennis Kozeluh, Eduard Wildner and Wolfram Rupperti make up the rest of the cast. Kim Duddy is the dance director, Herbert Pichler the musical director. The "Hotline Boys" perform the songs by Dana Gillespie, Adrian Large, David Malin and Spitz herself.

Hotline runs thru July 11 daily expect Sun. and Mon. at 8 PM. Tickets can be ordered at +43-1-317 01 01.

- By Bernd Freimueller

Austria Correspondent