Schwab's first play was performed in 1990; in 1992 German critics elected him playwright of the year; he died in 1994, leaving behind a total of some fifteen plays. Many of his plays created a furore when produced, but their stage effectiveness made them very successful with theatre audiences. His disrupted language constantly breaks the rules of syntax and ignores the conventions of expression. Yet it still works. Indeed, it is a very effective instrument for revealing the violence which lies not so far below the surface of "respectable" society, which is Schwab's major theme.