Franz Xaver Kroetz: Back after 25 years with Brandner Kaspar!

Franz Xaver Kroetz: Back after 25 years with Brandner Kaspar!

Franz Xaver Kroetz, a prominent German playwright and actor, is making a name for himself with a new play that was created after a 25-year break. The premiere of “Gschichtn vom Brandner Kaspar”, a modern new edition of the classic “Brandner Kaspar” based on Franz von Kobell, is scheduled for June 14, 2025 at the Munich Residenztheater. This announcement is causing excitement in the cultural scene, as Kroetz is known for his sincere and humorous discussions of social issues. Loud vienna.at The new work is a folk play in four acts.

Kroetz, who originally wanted to take on the title role himself, ultimately left it to Günther Maria Halmer. Florian von Manteuffel plays Boanlkramer, i.e. death. Kroetz describes his work as a “big picture book” and a fairy tale that is based on an honest and touching narrative. The focus is on themes that shape identity, as Kroetz often did in his earlier pieces.

Production and Cast

The decision to write a play again comes at a time when Kroetz has had less to do with the theater, as he recently noted. After 20 years without going to the theater, he expressed critical thoughts about the social relevance of theater in comparison to new media such as TikTok. The director Andreas Beck has reworked the material for the Bavarian State Theater and the result is now available abendzeitung-muenchen.de reported.

In addition to Halmer and von Manteuffel, the ensemble includes artists such as Michael Goldberg and Elisabeth Nittka. Kroetz, who became popular in the 1970s with his dialect plays about socially underprivileged groups, has found a mix of humor and seriousness in his new work. He wants to do justice to the loneliness of old age and the forces of fate, as they are dealt with in the story of Brandner Kaspar.

Historical context

The story of Brandner Kaspar, which is based on motifs by Franz von Kobell and first appeared in 1871, is being given a contemporary new edition through Kroetz's interpretation. The dramatic adaptation of Kobell's story was last performed a quarter of a century ago in a stage version by Kurt Wilhelm. As an author who combines both the roots of the story and the modern perspective, Kroetz aims to strengthen theater as a medium for social reflection.

Pre-sales for the premiere will begin on April 30, 2025. It remains exciting to see how the audience will react to this new piece, as e-tickets are already in high demand in advance.

For anyone who would like to delve deeper into Kroetz's work skulima.de a detailed analysis of his critical folk plays and their significance for contemporary theater.