Road Opera by Ludger Vollmer / Libretto by Tiina Hartmann / After Wolfgang Herrndor
Wolfgang Herrndorf's young adult novel about the two outsiders Maik Klingenberg from Marzahn and Andrej Tschichatschow, known as Tschick, the son of Russian repatriates, has been a hit in more than 25 countries since its publication in 2010; the adaptation for the stage was at times the most frequently performed play in Germany.
Tschick is like a road movie, a story of courage and overcoming loneliness. It's also about school, first love and East Germany, and of course about all the things you can experience with a stolen Lada Niva. Because Tschick wants to use it to drive to his grandfather in Wallachia. Or so he says.
In 2017, Theater Hagen produced a vibrant, gripping musical version of Tschick. Ludger Vollmer, one of Germany's most successful opera composers, was commissioned as the composer. The play has since entered the repertoire of opera houses, including the Vienna State Opera. Matthias Piro and his team are returning to the Volkstheater for the production in Rostock. The young director caused a national sensation with his professional debut Die Winterreise last season.
