Musical folk theatre with paperboard, puppets and projections based on the work by W. A. Mozart and E. Schikaneder
Starring: Daniel Gloger (contra tenor), Joachim Torbahn and Tristan Vogt (puppets), and ensembleKONTRASTE (live orchestra)
Director: Thalias Kompagnons (Tristan Vogt and Joachim Torbahn)
Supervisor: Jürg Schlachter
Puppets and set decoration: Joachim Torbahn
Musical adaptation: Marcus Maria Reißenberger
Coproduction with Tafelhalle Nuremberg
About performance:
“Charm, wit and imagination almost without parallel” – the press unanimously praised this fresh, new and unique version of The Magic Flute, which was so well received abroad, it was offered a full five performances at the Vienna Festival in 2007.
Unlike the blissful, leisurely freemasonic ambience in traditional opera performances, this production works tongue in cheek with the fairy tale and prop tricks – but with subversive irony.
“Between the lines” of the lyrics of the borrowed arias and dialogues is the story of the good-natured, naive Prince Tamino. While attempting to save his beloved Pamina, Tamino finds himself wedged between the fronts of the foolish Queen of the Night and demagogic witch Sarastra and loses himself instead of saving the day. Only as a tried-and-true member of Sarastra’s misogynist order of men can he get to his Pamina, but by this time she means nothing to him.
Using Paul Klee-like puppets and fantastic paperboard sets, two puppet actors masterfully launch a firework display of magical scenes and stage transformations on an uncovered stop-motion animation table.
Broadcast live from several cameras, the spectacle appears on a large screen over the eight-member orchestra (in which each musician is a first-rate soloist).
Amongst the musicians and next to the puppet actors is Daniel Gloger, a renowned contra-tenor from Stuttgart, who lends his incredibly versatile voice to all the characters, from Sarastra’s bass to the coloratura soprano of the Queen of the Night – all filled with humour, and yet so stylistically confident, “it is as if he were in love with each one of these fairy tale roles (and Mozart’s music)” (Nürnberger Nachrichten).
The public can view the production on several different levels. While admiring the miniature orchestra, the universal singer and the two puppet actors masterfully performing tricks with their figures, they can enjoy the fantastic show up on the screen, where a great fairy tale opera is unfolding.
Performances by the internationally acclaimed Thalias Kompagnons theatre border between dramatic, puppet and musical theatre. With its subtly cheeky versions of operas and classics (Wagner’s Ring Cycle, Macbeth, The Magic Flute), it has succeeded on alternative stages, festivals and national theatres alike.
The troupe has made guest performances at the Vienna Festival, Salzburg festival and theatre festivals in Austria, Switzerland, the Netherlands, Poland, Italy, Denmark, Finland, Slovenia, Croatia, Hungary, Ukraine, Israel, South Korea, Japan and Australia.
Running time: 80 minutes (no intermission)
Age: 9+
