theatre
Nibelungen Festival presents ensemble
Director Nico Hofmann presented the program. photo
© Uwe Anspach/dpa
It couldn’t be more topical: Nobody wants bloodshed, but it still threatens – that’s what this year’s stage in Worms is all about. A heroic epic with political relevance is expected in front of the imperial cathedral.
A war-weary hero as a mediator between hostile fronts is the focus of this year’s Nibelungen Festival Worms. Under the direction of Nico Hofmann, the play “The Diplomat” with numerous geopolitical aspects will be performed on the stage in front of the cathedral from July 12th to 28th. On Tuesday in Worms, Hofmann introduced the ensemble for the production directed by the Swiss Roger Vontobel.
Among the stage-experienced members is Jasna Fritzi Bauer, known from Bremen’s “Tatort”, as Kriemhild, as well as Yohanna Schwertfeger as Brunhild, Thomas Loibl (“Toni Erdmann”) as Hagen and Franz Pätzold in the leading role as Dietrich von Bern. He is “The Diplomat” and is sent as a messenger of peace to the Burgundians to ask for Kriemhild’s hand on behalf of Hun King Etzel. At the same time, he wants to prevent a bloody war that no one actually wants – but which still seems unavoidable.
In the piece by the author duo Feridun Zaimoğlu and Günter Senkel, Dietrich finds himself in the dilemma of his personal history and the threat of escalation. The Nibelungenlied, one of the Germans’ favorite sagas, is brimming with violence and drowning in hatred. Does the heroic epic on the Rhine have to end like this? The festival in Rhineland-Palatinate with artistic director Thomas Laue is once again asking this question of fate this year.
Since 2002, the spectacle in one of Germany’s oldest cities has been telling the intriguing legend of the dragon slayer Siegfried and his murderer Hagen in different ways. Last year, Worms had 90 percent occupancy with 21,000 visitors. Around 1,400 spectators can fit in the stands in front of the Imperial Cathedral every evening; tickets cost between 29 and 139 euros, depending on the performance.
For Hofmann (64), “The Diplomat” is the first production since the recent extension of his contract in Worms until 2028. He took over the direction from Dieter Wedel in 2018.