Cultural Spectacle - The Diplomat: Nibelungen Festival about War and Peace
Imagine if there was a war, and nobody wanted it. This quote could stand grandly above the piece "The Diplomat," which officially premieres on Friday (12.7.) in celebration - to open the annual Nibelungen-Festspiele in Worms. Amidst real geopolitical crises, such as in Ukraine and the Middle East, the question is how to prevent a bloody war that nobody wants - yet seems inevitable.
"The piece is more relevant than ever," says Intendant Nico Hofmann to the German Press Agency. The first version of the author duo Feridun Zaimoğlu and Güner Senkel had already been created some years ago. "Things have politically developed in a way I never imagined."
Under the direction of Roger Vontobel, the piece is a "clever assessment" and thought-provoking. "Therefore, I expect a strong discussion - but also an evening that is worthwhile from an entertainment perspective," Hofmann adds.
"These are indeed crazy times"
The ensemble is experienced. Jasna Fritzi Bauer, known from Bremen's "Tatort," plays Kriemhild. "She is no longer the young girl who worshipped the Dragon Slayer," says Bauer about her role. "Siegfried is dead. Everything is a bit run-down. There has been war for a while, and she is tired. She no longer has much interest in her family."
Bauer finds it good that the piece is current. "These are indeed crazy times that surround us," she says. "Naturally, a piece called 'The Diplomat' is absurd, but somehow also beautiful. This man tries to create peace and says 'This whole fighting brings nothing.' I hope the piece encourages thinking and discussions."
King without a Crown
At the center of "The Diplomat" is the disillusioned hero Dietrich von Bern as a mediator between enemy fronts. He is sent as a peace envoy to the Burgundians to plead for Etzel's hand of Kriemhild. At the same time, he tries to prevent a war. And so Dietrich finds himself in the dilemma of his personal history and the impending escalation.
Franz Pätzold ("Werk ohne Autor") plays the figure of German high and late medieval literature in Worms. "To play a piece about war in a time when war is almost at the door - that can make you crazy," says Pätzold. "We're back at the theater, which can be a counterproposal and show the tension between reality and a possibility."
Dietrich von Bern is a king without a crown. "He renounces power so that violence ceases. And that's interesting: Does he do it for higher motives or for personal reasons?"
It could be that the audience discovers at the end that the supposed hero is not as shining as they thought. "But I don't want to be dependent on expectations," emphasizes Pätzold. "Otherwise, I could just conduct surveys about how the character should be."
"As dark as the Winnetou Killer"
Thomas Loibl, actor in "Toni Erdmann," makes it difficult for the audience to identify Siegfried-Murderer Hagen. "There are many moments in Hagen where one can say: 'This might be the better way,'" he says. "I try to use that." The audience can then argue with their seat neighbor: Is Hagen right, or not? - No, Dietrich was still the crazy guy. "That's my goal. I find this discourse valuable at the theater," emphasizes Loibl.
He sees his Hagen as a villain like Rollins, who killed Winnetou in the Karl May film. "My Hagen will be as dark as the Winnetou-Killer," says the actor. "Without a dark counterpart, there are no shining heroes. I love analyzing and playing such characters."
The Nibelungenlied, one of Germany's favorite sagas, is full of violence and steeped in hatred. Does this intrigue-filled heroic saga have to end this way? The festivals also pose this question to themselves this year. Since 2002, the organizers in one of Germany's oldest cities have retold the spectacle of Siegfried and his murderer Hagen in various ways and always on eye level with current issues of the present.
Last year, Worms had 21,000 visitors with a 90% utilization. Approximately 1,400 spectators fit on the tribune in front of the cathedral every evening, and tickets cost between 29 and 139 Euro. The festival site is historical ground: A key scene of the legend, the quarrel of the queens, takes place on the north side of the cathedral. The festivals on an open-air stage run until July 28.
By the way, "The Diplomat" has blood gushing out of Siegfried's corpse, which lies before the cathedral during the play. Approximately 100 liters of stage blood should be distributed over a covered part of the stage for each performance using a pump system.
- Despite the ongoing geopolitical crises in places like Ukraine and the Middle East, the annual Nibelungen-Festspiele in Worms is set to premiere "The Diplomat," a piece that is more relevant than ever due to its theme of preventing war.
- Intendant Nico Hofmann, expressing his views to the German Press Agency, believes that the piece's message is particularly poignant given the current political climate.
- Under Roger Vontobel's direction, the piece is anticipated to spark heated discussions due to its thought-provoking content.
- Jasna Fritzi Bauer, renowned from Bremen's "Tatort," portrays Kriemhild in the production, a character who has grown weary of the conflicts and is no longer interested in her family.
- The piece's relevance and potential for stirring thought and discussion are celebrated by Bauer, who also acknowledges the timely absurdity of a piece titled "The Diplomat."
- In the heart of "The Diplomat," Dietrich von Bern serves as a peace envoy, attempting to avert war while struggling with his personal history.
- Thomas Loibl, an actor from "Toni Erdmann," performs Hagen, a complex character that challenges audience perceptions and invites debate on morality and heroism.
