Deutsches Theater Munich: In the fog of horror

Created: 2022-02-04 16:42

By: Katrin Basaran

Deutsches Theater: “Jekyll & Hyde” celebrates its premiere in Munich.

© Ruppenthal

The musical version of “Jekyll & Hyde” had its Munich premiere at the Deutsches Theater.

We spoke to director Andreas Gergen.

The waves surrounding the change in the executive floor of the Deutsches Theater have calmed down, and so we can finally focus on the stage art of the house on Schwanthalerstraße again.

And it's worth it: It's going to be dark, profound, pretty sexy and, above all, murderous there until February 13th - "Jekyll & Hyde" has its Munich premiere!

Based on the 1886 novella by Scottish author Robert Louis Stevenson, the musical by composer Frank Wildhorn and author Ann Leslie Bricusse premiered in the USA in 1990 and later became a huge hit on Broadway.

Musically, at the request of the composer, by Marc Seitz, who is acting as musical director for the first time, the probably most famous split personality in the history of literature should give the audience entertainment, but also goosebumps.

How do you bring horror to the stage?

Andreas Gergen:

All it took was a look into the abysses of the human psyche.

The novella as a template for the musical dates from the late Victorian era, when scientists and authors dealt with the topics of psychology and sexuality.

Our story now begins with a drug that isolates the bad from the good in people.

We show what can happen when a person, free from social rules, pursues his instincts uninhibitedly.

We use Sigmund Freud's theory of the ego, superego and id.

As an ego, man stands between the poles of the superego, i.e. the social norms, and the id, the inner drives.

Edward Hyde lives out his it uninhibitedly and ruthlessly.

Sexuality plays a big part in the creation of Hyde

.

Andreas Gergen:

Yes, when I first met the prostitute Lucy, Henry Jekyll was still shy and uptight.

After taking the drug, he lives out his innermost sexual needs with her as Hyde.

What was important to you when telling the story?

Andreas Gergen:

Dealing with this story was great food for me as a director.

It was important to me that everyone in the auditorium could find themselves in the role of Hyde - even in the case of the drastic murders, for example in the mental hospital.

The viewer should catch himself enjoying the ingenuity of the murderer Hyde.

It's not light fare, but it's also not a simple, trivial story.

There are also great emotions as well as a disappointed love and a new love.

The 1990 musical version has been thoroughly revised.

Can you describe what viewers can expect now?

Andreas Gergen:

"Jekyll & Hyde" in Munich is the Merzig version that was developed there last summer under Corona rules for the open-air arena.

That means we play without a break, have mostly eliminated the dialogue and transport the story with the songs and musical numbers within an hour and 45 minutes.

And it works amazingly well!

What about the stage design and costumes?

Andreas Gergen:

My team and I tried to do without any kitsch operetta scenery and to establish a clear acting aesthetic.

The stage design consists of a huge LED wall that can be walked on on two levels.

On and before that, the 13-strong ensemble performs the story.

The ensemble is always on stage and sits to the side during scenes when the individual performers are not in action.

From there they support and comment on the game vocally.

Actually, we are using Bertolt Brecht's V-Effect.

That means we're obviously acting out the scenes and acting them out like a game within a game.

In fact, "Jekyll & Hyde" is a didactic play about the human psyche in the style of a modern "Threepenny Opera".

In what way?

Andreas Gergen:

The projections provide support with realistic and opulent images, but also associatively in psychedelic moments, especially when we switch to Hyde's perspective.

The costumes are simple, and costume changes are performed visibly on an open stage.

The choreography supports and rhythmizes the dynamics of the story.

From time to time there are also laughs, which then get stuck in the audience's throats the next moment.