Bite me if you can

The undead are on the loose and they are right in the midst of us. At least since yesterday and we’re pretty sure you can find them in the pit of the Komische Oper unter den Linden. That’s where Heinrich Marschners opera „Der Vampir“, created 1828 and now presented by Antú Romero Nunes, celebrated its premiere yesterday. The 33 year-old wunderkind director has become known for his imaginative, unconventional twist on classics such as Schillers „Räuber“ at the Maxim Gorki Theater or „Don Giovanni“ and „Moby Dick“ at the Thalia Theater in Hamburg. He took the story and condensed it into 90 minutes without intermission, whittled the cast down to a total of 6 actors (zombies 1-33 not included), donned Count Dracula, pardon, Lord Ruthven a fetching pale undercut, carpentered an insane stage design and spiced up the whole thing with a dash of musicomical demonic splatter. This can, of course, lead to the occasional bowel flying through the air and extremities being swung like clubs over the head of the deformed, wheezing zombie creature. Bon Appétit! This is spooky in a most entertaining way, funny from time to time and never truly disgusting. The story is told just as quickly as it is experienced. Vampire Ruthven has to charm and, well, slaughter three virgins before midnight and leave them to be devoured by the mad zombie mob. Otherwise he is history. The seducer’s lure is hard to resist and his magnetic pull on the female sex can’t even be dwindled by his likeable little paunch. Confidant Edgar can only watch his fiancé Malwina succumb to the gruesome lord and knows no way out of his dilemma: if he betrays the vampire, he will become one himself. If he doesn’t, he’ll send his beloved straight into the trap. In the end, everyone…  well, we’ll see. We’re giving away one pair of tickets for the show on March 26th to the particularly bloodthirsty among you. Write an Email with the subject ‚BOTTOMS UP‘ to hurra@muxmaeuschenwild.de  But beware: a seat in the first 12 rows might put you closer to the action than you had bargained for. Have a close look at the person sitting next to you before the curtain rises…

_____

DER VAMPYR – Musiktheater nach Heinrich Marschner | 26.03./03.04./17.04./23.04./05.07. | Komische Oper, Behrenstraße 55-57 10117 Berlin | Karten 12-69 Euro | www.komische-oper-berlin.de |  Photo: Ilko Freese