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Biedermann und die Brandstifter

By Max Frisch
Staging: Nicolas Stemann

Just a moment ago, Biedermann [name translates to petty bourgeois] rebelled against all the arsonists, peddlers and good-for-nothings at his local pub, when they already arrive on his doorstep. Despite instructions, his maid Anna is unable to turn the arsonists away. Knechtling [name translates to servant], on the other hand, is turned away: the employee feels cheated out of the patent for his invention, which is the bread and butter of Biedermann's family business. Yet, Biedermann, who actually strives to be honest and open-minded towards phenomena of the zeitgeist, will not listen to him. Meanwhile, the arsonists have taken up residence in his attic. What is going on there? In the end, Biedermann's wife will barely be able to keep her composure, the maid will have collapsed, Knechtling will have killed himself, and Biedermann's house will be in flames – why did it have to come to this, how could it have to come to this?

When Max Frisch's Biedermann und die Brandstifter premiered at the Pfauen in 1958, the positive reactions were based on a misunderstanding: the audience did not understand the play as a farce about bourgeois hypocrisy but quite literally as an appeal not to let strangers into their house. Max Frisch was dismayed. Now co-artistic director Nicolas Stemann is revisiting the Swiss satire as the last production of his tenure at the Schauspielhaus.

 

Cast and Team

With
Patrycia
Ziólkowska
With
Niels
Bormann
With
Kay
Kysela
With
Sowie:
With
Daniel
Lommatzsch
With
Sebastian
Rudolph
With
Anina
Steiner
With
Ann-Kathrin
Stengel
With
Juline
Andresen
With
Live
Musik:
With
Thomas
Kürstner
With
Sebastian
Vogel
Stage design
Costume design
Film / cinematic installation
Institut für Experimentelle Angelegenheiten
Claudia Lehmann
Konrad Hempel
Light
Carsten Schmidt
Audience Development
Silvan Gisler
Touring & International Relations
Sonja Hildebrandt
Artistic Mediation T&S
Nicole Breitenmoser
Production intern
Linda Hügel, Philipp  Stevens
Stage design assistance
Costume design Assistance
Sophia May
Collaboration Film
Stage design intern
Philipp Stäheli
costume design intern
Lisa Alexa Gieseler
Dramaturgy intern
Maya Scharf
Audience Development & Dramaturgy intern
Anna Vankova
Inspection
Eva Willenegger
Soufflage
Katja Weppler
Surtitles Translation
Corinne Hundleby
Surtitles Operators
Raman Khalaf (Panthea)
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Audio guide

Introduction: Katinka Deecke, Dramaturgy

Performance rights: Suhrkamp Verlag AG Berlin

Supported by Peter and Gigi Frisch
Special thanks to Dr. Tobias Amslinger and Prof. Dr. Thomas Strässle from the Max Frisch Archive.

Gallery

© Philip Frowein

© Philip Frowein

© Philip Frowein

© Philip Frowein

© Philip Frowein

© Philip Frowein

© Philip Frowein

© Philip Frowein

© Philip Frowein

© Philip Frowein

© Philip Frowein

© Philip Frowein

Trailer

© Leon Schwitter

Press

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