190 years after its premiere in 1834, the Raimundspiele 2024 will bring Ferdinand Raimund’s successful play The Spendthrift to the stage. The game will be played from July 10th to August 4th in Gutenstein.
Gutenstein (OTS) – “It is one of Raimund’s best pieces.”
said the new director Norbert Gollinger, former regional director of ORF Lower Austria. He appears with this year’s production of spendthrift his office.
It tells the story of the rich nobleman Julius von Flottwell, who leads a life of luxury and literally throws his fortune out the window. A chain of unfortunate events causes the once dazzling bon vivant to lose everything in one fell swoop. Penniless and stricken by fate, he ultimately has no choice but to seek refuge with his former servant Valentin. He always saw the good in his master and is now ready to take him in. Valentine’s loyalty, the love of the fairy Cheristane and the encounter with the spirit Azure in the form of a beggar are ultimately what make Julius von Flottwell come to his senses and free him from his misery.
Due to its moral demands on the audience, the piece has lost none of its relevance to this day, like the director Helmut Wiesner emphasizes:
“Ferdinand Raimund delights us in a wonderful way with the power of the all-powerful imagination in the spendthrift. (…) It is fascinating how his view of the world still has a lasting impact on us and still concerns us.”
Ensemble
A number of outstanding actors and actresses were recruited for the performance as part of the Raimundspiele, with the production being enriched by both professionals with many years of experience and young talents.
The eponymous lead role of the spendthrift, Julius von Flottwellis known from numerous theater and television engagements Günter Franzmeier take over. He honored the Raimundspiele Gutenstein after his brilliant portrayal Adam Holzapfel in Peter Turrinis It must be divorced (2023) now for the second time. The spectators are also allowed to sit up Rudi Roubinek – to the audience primarily through his portrayal of the Obersthofmeisters Seyffenstein in the ORF satire show We are emperors known – in the role of Flottwell’s friend Knight Dumont who will bring his comedic talent to the performance. As Rosa becomes an actress who has become an integral part of the Austrian theater landscape Chris Pichler can be seen, who has also made a name for herself through numerous television appearances and her participation in over 40 ORF radio plays. The young talent Manuel Sonnleitner becomes the role of the faithful servant Valentin embody.
Perform in other roles David Oberkogler als intriganter Valet Wolf or Roswitha Meyer as Fee Cheristane on. William Mang, Fiona Ristl, Carmen Kirschner, Helga Illich, Alexander Hoffelner and Richard Stanzl complete the ensemble.
Direction, stage and costume
Director Helmut Wiesner is firmly anchored in the Austrian cultural landscape and works both as a director and as an actor. In addition to numerous engagements at well-known institutions such as the Burgtheater, the Volkstheater or the Theater am Turm in Frankfurt am Main, he directed the GRUPPE 80 theater together with Helga Illich for 25 years. For his productions, he received, among other things, the Karl Skraup Prize from the Volkstheater and awarded the Josef Kainz Medal by the City of Vienna twice.
Hans Hoffer As the former director of the Max Reinhardt Seminar and through his work as a scenographer, museum, exhibition and film architect, he can look back on a diverse career in the international cultural scene. He will bring his many years of experience as a stage designer to this year’s festival in Gutenstein. In this role he has already taken part in productions at the Burgtheater, such as Shakespeare’s Hamlet and the various Raimund plays. Hans Hoffer was awarded, among other things, the Josef Kainz Medal and the Cross of Honor for Science and Art of the Republic of Austria.
The Raimundspiele Gutenstein are also happy to be involved in the costume design Simina Nicolaescu to have acquired a young, dynamic talent. She will incorporate the experiences she gained in productions at the Theater in der Josefstadt, among others, into this year’s production. Most recently she was responsible for stage and costume design as well as lighting design The Church of the Devil directed by Olivia Rosenberger in charge of the Vienna Atelier Theater.
Ticket sales
Ticket sales for the 15 performances between July 10th and August 4th, 2024 have been available since this year via the new online ticket shop (https://shop.eventjet.at/raimundspiele) and via the ticket office on 0676 840023200 possible. Further details are on www.raimundspiele.at to find.
Questions & Contact:
Raimundspiele Gutenstein
DI Hilde Ramberger
hilderamberger@icloud.com
+436645261766