The Threepenny Opera

The Threepenny Opera description

Barrie Kosky returns to Adelaide Festival with a masterpiece of 20th century music theatre – The Threepenny Opera. 

Written by Bertolt Brecht and Elisabeth Hauptmann with music by Kurt Weill, The Threepenny Opera was an overnight sensation following its premiere in Berlin in 1928. Here, the Berliner Ensemble is joined by former Adelaide Festival Artistic Director Barrie Kosky in a new production that demonstrates the piece’s timeless power. 

Few directors possess Kosky’s animal instinct for making music serve drama... [It is] raw entertainment.

The Spectator

Set amongst the poverty, crime and corruption of London, The Threepenny Opera follows notorious criminal Macheath, a.k.a. Mack the Knife, his gang, enemies and lovers. It is both a biting satire of capitalism and a farcical story about love, betrayal and morality. 

Almost 100 years after it first scandalised audiences with its mix of sex, sin and anti-capitalist politics, The Threepenny Opera remains a powerful force. In the hands of Barrie Kosky and the Berliner Ensemble, its legendary songs and universal story are pulled into sharp focus with perfectly choreographed scenes, catchy hooks and a silver-spangled stage. 

Coming to Adelaide after hit seasons at the Berliner Ensemble and Edinburgh International Festival, don’t miss your only chance to see this dazzling production as it makes its Australian premiere.

★ ★ ★ ★ ★ Barrie Kosky’s production of The Threepenny Opera for the legendary Berliner Ensemble is quite simply astounding... I’d give it ten stars if I could.

WhatsOnStage

★ ★ ★ ★ ★ A near flawless revival of Brecht’s searing Victorian satire.

The Telegraph

Funded by Lottostiftung Berlin.

Event additional information

Credits

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The Threepenny Opera

Based on John Gay's The Beggar's Opera 
By Bertolt Brecht (text) and Kurt Weill (music)
In collaboration with Elisabeth Hauptmann

Creative team

Director Barrie Kosky 
Musical Director Adam Benzwi 
Stage Design Rebecca Ringst 
Costumes Dinah Ehm 
Lighting Ulrich Eh 
Sound Design Holger Schwank 
Dramaturgy Sibylle Baschung 
Assistant Director Leonie Rebentisch 
Assistant Musical Directors Levi Hammer & Daniel Busch 
Assistant Stage Designers Annett Hunger & Janina Kuhlmann 
Assistant Costume Designer Svenja Niehaus

Cast

Jonathan Jeremiah Peachum Tilo Nest
Celia Peachum Constanze Becker 
Polly Peachum Cynthia Micas 
Macheath (Mackie Messer) Gabriel Schneider 
Brown Kathrin Wehlisch 
Lucy Laura Balzer
Spelunkenjenny Bettina Hoppe 
Filch Gabriel Schneider 
Macheath's Men, Street Bandits, Prostitutes Julia Berger, Dennis Jankowiak, Julie Wolff & Nicky Wuchinger 
Smith Nicky Wuchinger 
The Moon Over Soho Dennis Jankowiak and its double Heidrun Schug 

ORCHESTRA 

Conductor, Piano, Harmonium Adam Benzwi  
Alto Saxophone, Clarinet, Flute, Piccolo James Scannell  
Soprano Saxophone, Tenor Saxophone, Baritone Saxophone Doris Decker 
Trumpet Nathan Plante 
Trombone, Double Bass Otwin Zipp 
Drums Sebastian Trimolt
Guitar, Banjo Ralf Templin 

PRODUCTION

Prompter Christine Schönfeld
Stage Manager Frank Sellentin
Stage Technicians Mirko Baars & Benedikt Schröter 
Sound Thorsten Hoppe & Afrim Parduzi 
Acoustic Design Ralf Bauer-Diefenbach
Lighting Sebastian Scheinig
Props Timothy Hopfner & Anke Tekath 
Makeup Lili Zawierucha, Lena Hille & Friederike Reichel 
Wardrobe Britta Klein, Marija Obradovic & Alexander Zapp 

Images JR Berliner Ensemble and Moritz Haase

Partners

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