Schicklgruber

Josefstädter Strasse 26

1080 Wien

 

German by Nikolaus Habjan and Manuela Linshalm

Life is just a walking shadow; a poor comedian who struts and strives for his hour on stage and is then heard no more: it's a fairy tale, told by a fool, full of sound and fury, that means nothing.

Karl May?

Shakespeare.
Already dead too!

Berlin, April 1945. The war is lost, the Reich is sinking into ruins. But deep underground in the bunker, Adolf Hitler and his closest confidants cling to their last illusions: Perhaps a great speech could still turn everything around. Or the stars. Or simply the right food. While the bombs fall outside, they plan birthday parties and victories. But another guest comes and goes in the bunker. Waits. Death – amused and unstoppable. Even evil eventually forgets its own name. But death? It never forgets. And he leaves no one out.

Neville Tranter, a pioneer of contemporary puppet theater, not only strips the figure of Adolf Hitler of his self-given name, but also of his almost mythical status. The Australian-born artist, who has revolutionized puppetry for adults with his Stuffed Puppet Theatre since the 1970s, is known for his biting satire and absurd, grotesque humor. Now Tranter hands over the puppets to his former student and longtime colleague Nikolaus Habjan and actress Manuela Linshalm. He himself remains backstage to direct this new production with Habjan. Together, they and Schicklgruber expose a regime in its final stages – a grotesque farce about power, megalomania, and the inevitable final curtain.

(Source: josefstadt.org)