NOW that is a character to step onto a stage for:
Arne Stephan plays Karl II of Braunschweig — hot-tempered and tender, irresistible and insufferable, domineering and extravagant, highly intelligent and not always of sound mind.
Caught between fits of rage and of love, he forever nibbles on precious ice cream while living in constant fear of being poisoned; he crosses the English Channel by tethered balloon and travels through Europe in the most luxurious motorhome carriage imaginable; with obsession and an investor's instinct he tends his vast collection of diamonds; he plays chess against the finest players in the world, and he loves "his" Braunschweig theatre so dearly that he summons the singers to extra rehearsals to demonstrate how "it" is done properly.
It is about politics & resistance, genius & madness, love & intrigue — between ducal court & tavern, in the castle & on the street and in the theatre, in other words almost on Braunschweig's original setting …
And all of it newly composed from prologue to finale with present-day music — plenty of hip-hop, soul and R&B, anthemic ballads — pathos, emotion, humour: in short, full-blooded entertainment. And it is astonishing how superbly this music suits the historical material.
Musical direction: Christian Eitner
Director: Peter Schanz
Choreography: Sonja Böhme
Set: Caroline Schwarz
Costumes: Eva-Maria Huke
Karl II of Braunschweig: Arne Stephan
The premiere is on Friday, 8 April 2022 at 7:30 pm in the Großes Haus of the Braunschweig Staatstheater, and tickets are available here:
https://staatstheater-braunschweig.de/produktion/der-diamantenherzog-und-das-brennende-schloss-1001/show/Event/Play/?no_cache=1&cHash=612a05a7a4508f964c2c2ffb045c84cb