The “Hilden saga” by the Austrian playwright and language play virtuoso Ferdinand Schmalz (yes, the title is lowercase) is quite rightly becoming a repertoire classic. After the premiere of the piece at the Worms Nibelungen Festival two years ago and productions at the Munich Volkstheater and the Vienna Burgtheater The Deutsches Theater Berlin is now following suit. With his overwriting of the Nibelung material, Schmalz succeeds in deconstructing the Germanic splatter myth in a humorously playful and at the same time quite relentless analysis of archaic power and violence relationships: “How short such a warrior’s life is, how quickly they die.” You could say so. Of course, there is always a hint of ridicule about the heroic self-aggrandizement of the bullies with its fatal consequences: Be careful, toxic masculinity endangers your health!
“Hildensaga” by Ferdinand Schmalz at the Deutsches Theater: Goddesses of Carnage – Culture
