Die Dreigroschenoper

Whenever the Berliner Ensemble brings out a new production of its famous "Dreigroschenoper", German theatre audiences go into a state of perpetual excitement. After all, Bertolt Brecht himself founded the Berliner Ensemble in 1928 and the great Brecht / Weill masterpiece has since become an indispensable part of the theatre's standard repertoire, with people from all over the world travelling to Berlin to see it. The pressing question on everyone's lips before each new premiere is: can the new production meet the high standards set by the previous ones?

For Barrie Kosky's long-awaited and repeatedly postponed new production, the answer is quite clear: Yes, it can! With an incredible ensemble of actors at his disposal, he is able to steer the songs and dialogue clear from all clichés, and the small band consisting of only seven musicians surrounding Levi Hammer injects a delightful energy into the evening. With this new production, the Berliner Ensemble has a "new fast-paced blockbuster" on its playbill (Frankfurter Allgemeine, 16.8.2021) – and so does the 2022 International May Festival!