Fotos: Matthias Stutte

Merlin or The Waste Land by Tankred Dorst
// in collaboration with Ursula Ehler // in a version by Christoph Roos //
AN INTERACTIVE DOUBLE PRODUCTION FOR THE THEATRE’S 75TH ANNIVERSARY

Tankred Dorst’s visually powerful “world fairy tale” Merlin or The Waste Land reimagines the medieval legend of King Arthur and the Round Table in strikingly modern terms, unfolding as an opulent parable about humanity. It is a tragedy about the dream of a better world, the search for a life filled with happiness, love, and peace — and the inevitability of its failure.

When Merlin prophesies the rise of the Round Table, his father, the Devil, is anything but pleased. He would much rather see his son use his magical powers to push humanity toward evil. As father and son struggle over the shape of the future, the naïve Parzival and the treacherous Mordred — King Arthur’s own son — throw Camelot’s democratic experiment into turmoil. Is the idea of a world no longer ruled by the law of the strongest doomed to collapse under generational conflict?

To mark the theatre’s 75th anniversary, the drama department highlights the collaborative spirit of the twin-city theatre by presenting two independent Merlin productions simultaneously as an interactive double project: In Krefeld, artistic director Christoph Roos will stage Merlin or The Waste Land on the main stage, while in Mönchengladbach, young director Luis Liun Koch will create his own interpretation of the play in the studio theatre under the title Merlin feat. Ginevra. Premieres and all performances take place on the same evenings and include live scenic elements transmitted via video and audio into the parallel production in the other city.

CREATIVE TEAM

Christoph Roos
Director

Aylin Leclaire
Musical Director

Thomas Rump
Set and Puppetry Design

Dietlind Konold
Costume Design

Verena Meis
Dramaturgy

Peter Is
Video Design