Peer Gynt (DE)

Henrik Ibsens Dramatic Poem «Peer Gynt» from 1867 has become one of the most famous great myths in European theatre. The story of the liar and outsider, the queer fellow and adventurer, but also the egoist and loser, is the Odyssey of modern man looking for salvation.

In this adaption of Peer Gynt, the Australian director Simon Stone, one of the most important young directors in Europe, has rewritten and directed Ibsen’s classic. He has taken the same story, the same events, the same egotistical actions, the same neglect, disdain of society, selfish hedonism, sexual profligacy, greed, laziness and fuck-you attitude. And made Peer a woman.

“Our literature is full of men fucking themselves up only to find themselves again. It’s a male prerogative. Since the beginning of time we’ve romanticized the self-destruction of young men questioning societal boundaries, kicking against the pricks. But where are the women who fuck themselves up just because they can? Because they need to, because finding out who you really are requires the annihilation of self? Why is it a lot more worrying when a woman behaves like Peer?” asks Stone.

He also wonders why men get to keep all the adventures to themselves and why they have a monopoly on epiphanies. In Stone’s eyes, Peer Gynt is the most exciting role Ibsen didn’t realize he was writing for a 21st century woman.

With: Paul Herwig, Jonas Hien, Christoph Luser, Josef Ostendorf, Maria Schrader, Aljoscha Stadelmann, Ernst Stötzner, Bettina Stucky, Angela Winkler, Gala Othero Winter, and: Rolf Bach, Rene Rodrigues Batista, Uwe Behrmann, Niels Christenhuß, Steffen Gottschling, Mete Güner, Moritz Konjack, Maik Mensching, Fabian Rogall

Director: Simon Stone. Stage design: Bob Cousins. Costums: Alice Babidge. Music: Lars Wittershagen. Dramaturgy: Sybille Meier. Light design: Susanne Ressin.