The Nibelung family, led by artistic director Gunther, has settled comfortably at the Deutsche Oper Berlin and cherishes its centuries-old cultural heritage. Every evening, star soprano Kriemhild gets to shine in an opera by the great master Richard Wagner, and afterwards the corks pop in the canteen. But the finances are dire: Managing Director Hagen is pessimistic about whether the next seasons are secured, because politics wants to turn off the conservative house the money tap soon. One thing is certain: a good sweep needs to be carried out here – and with innovation! Innovation!? The Germanic crew really doesn't know anything about that. And then mail arrives from the Berlin Senate: A free-scene troop from the Berlin underground is to take things into its own hands from now on. The name says it all: ‘Die wilde Brünhilde’ first wants to smash things up and then reform them from the ground up. Now only a miracle can help to save the family honour and the house: the greatest hero of Germanic history: Siegfried! But first he has to be awakened from the dead...

AB IN DEN RING! is the Tischlerei’s latest collaboration with an independent company and tutti d*amore’s first premiere to be staged at an opera house. It is based on DIE LUSTIGEN NIBELUNGEN, a burlesque operetta by Oscar Straus and his lyricist Rideamus, first performed in Vienna in 1904. The source material is a witty satire aimed at their idol, Richard Wagner, a parody that, in the imperial era, dared to poke fun at themes such as heroism, patriotism and war fever. The operetta’s catchy couplets and jaunty waltzes and marches gave the Austrian composer his first major triumph.

Tutti d*amore has rewritten the text, extending and transposing Straus’s satirical look at Wilhelminian Germany into present day society. AB IN DEN RING! is a sharp dig at the culture wars raging in the theatre and opera community between supporters of conservatism and tradition on the one hand and woke progressives on the other. The theatrical sphere fuses with the mythological realm of the Nibelungs, triggering a to and fro over which attitudes should hold sway. A slapstick tussle where – as in a classic operetta - no single side comes out on top.

On tutti d*amore
The core mission of tutti d*amore, the Berlin collective for contemporary oper*etta, is to liberate operetta from its reputation as an outdated art form and attract young and diverse audiences to performances at urban venues. Its productions are staged at unconventional locations and in public spaces, with venues including Kater Blau and Sisyphos and appearances at the Fusion Festival and Garbicz Festival. tutti d*amore explores pressing issues of the day in light-hearted fashion. The company’s revival of Mischa Spoliansky’s folk play DAS HAUS DAZWISCHEN addressed the gentrification of small and medium-sized firms in Berlin. MAGNA MATER, based on Franz von Suppè’s DIE SCHÖNE GALATHÉE and Paul Lincke’s LYSISTRATA, tackles the themes of equal rights, roll models and abuse of power. They recently toured the countryside of Brandenburg, performing their operetta TUTTI IN CAMPAGNA in small venues and market squares, also landing an invitation to the DNT Weimar. And no, this is not a ‘90s pizza joint that’s put down roots in Germany. These people do operettas – as theatre for everyman.