Der rote Wal
The red whale
Texts by Markus Winter based on a story by Markus Winter and Martin G. Berger
Music by Vivan and Ketan Bhatti
in German with German and English Surtitles
Music by Vivan and Ketan Bhatti
in German with German and English Surtitles
When the beach lies beneath the pavement, as it was often said in the past, it is not far to the sea. Gladis, the protagonist of this opera, follows the opposite direction, from the sea to the pavement. Gladis is an orca. And she wants to break what she breaks. Cruise ships, superyachts, that sort of thing. On her quest for revenge, she meets Lone, who promises her human form for 24 hours and demands one of her fins as a reward. On the pavement, she meets Abad and Ge, an urban guerrilla, schoolchildren on a museum visit to Stammheim. Gladis gets caught between the fronts and questions arise: Does the end justify the means? What remains when every truth is distorted? And if you can't fight violence peacefully, is militancy the last resort left to us all? But or because this is a fairy tale, the kiss of true love can free Gladis from everything in between. The Red Whale is not a fairy tale to trivialize, but to deal with a Stuttgart material that is charged like a myth. To tell of resistance and the monopoly on violence. The text is written by Markus Winter, who as Maeckes is not only one of the Orsons, but also a son of the mother city known far beyond the borders of the Kesselrand as a solo lyricist, thinker and musician. The score is composed by the brothers Vivan and Ketan Bhatti, who with The Red Whale are writing an opera that is also rap.
Jun 2025
Der rote Wal
Cast
Jul 2025
Der rote Wal
Cast
Der rote Wal
Sun
20
18:00 – 19:45
Opernhaus
Opernhaus
Stuzubis 10 € already on presale!
8 / 18,50 / 29 / 43 / 58 / 72 / 90 / 108 / - €
Cast
Der rote Wal
Cast
Dec 2025
Der rote Wal
Wed
17
19:00 – 20:45
Opernhaus
Opernhaus
First performance this season
8-115 € / G
Tickets available from presale start
Cast
Der rote Wal
Mon
22
19:00 – 20:45
Opernhaus
Opernhaus
8-115 € / G
Tickets available from presale start
Cast
Musikalische Leitung Marit Strindlund
Regie Martin G. Berger
Bühne Sarah-Katharina Karl
Kostüme Alexander Djurkov Hotter
Video Vincent Stefan
Licht Rainer Eisenbraun
Dramaturgie Ingo Gerlach
Chor Manuel Pujol
Regie Martin G. Berger
Bühne Sarah-Katharina Karl
Kostüme Alexander Djurkov Hotter
Video Vincent Stefan
Licht Rainer Eisenbraun
Dramaturgie Ingo Gerlach
Chor Manuel Pujol
Gladis Madina Frey
Abad Matthias Klink
Ge Josefin Feiler
Lone Maeckes
Leviathan 1 Deborah Saffery
Leviathan 2 Jasper Leever
Leviathan 3 Yunus Schahinger
Pip Baron
Staatsorchester Stuttgart, Staatsopernchor Stuttgart
Abad Matthias Klink
Ge Josefin Feiler
Lone Maeckes
Leviathan 1 Deborah Saffery
Leviathan 2 Jasper Leever
Leviathan 3 Yunus Schahinger
Pip Baron
Staatsorchester Stuttgart, Staatsopernchor Stuttgart
Jan 2026
Der rote Wal
Thu
22
19:30 – 21:15
Opernhaus
Opernhaus
Zum letzten Mal in dieser Spielzeit
8-115 € / G
Tickets available from presale start
Cast
Synopsis
Isi, a young woman, and her friend Pip are visiting a play with their school class. The production marks an anniversary and explores the history of the RAF terrorist group. On the way to the theatre, Isi is stopped and searched by the police. To calm her nerves, she smokes a joint with Pip. Together, they head inside. The play begins with documentary audio recordings from 1970s West Germany. Isi immerses herself in this world — and the world immerses itself in her.
Act 1
At Whale School, the whale teachers once again tell the story of Leviathan, an ancestor of the whales who, to guarantee peace on Earth, united all power within himself. Gladis Blanca is conspicuous by her absence. On her way to school, she was rammed and injured by a boat, an accident that has happened many times before. Distraught and filled with rage, she swears revenge and vows to sink the largest human ship in history. The underwater tech billionaire Lone offers Gladis his help: 24 hours in human form in exchange for one of her fins. The deadline can only be extended if she succeeds in her revenge or receives the kiss of true love. Gladis agrees. In agony, she begins to transform. In the process, she slips into a space between realities where the documentary recordings reappear. The worlds begin to overlap, and under the sign of the “Red Whale,” Gladis and Isi merge into one.
Act 2
In human form, Isi-Gladis suddenly finds herself in the middle of a demonstration. The police try to restore order with water cannons. Isi- Gladis, however, seeks out the water and in doing so catches the attention of Abad and Ge, who are leading the protest. They pull her out of the water cannon’s spray and take her to their hideout. There, they share their goals. Isi-Gladis, in turn, tells them about her plan to sink the largest human ship.
Act 1
At Whale School, the whale teachers once again tell the story of Leviathan, an ancestor of the whales who, to guarantee peace on Earth, united all power within himself. Gladis Blanca is conspicuous by her absence. On her way to school, she was rammed and injured by a boat, an accident that has happened many times before. Distraught and filled with rage, she swears revenge and vows to sink the largest human ship in history. The underwater tech billionaire Lone offers Gladis his help: 24 hours in human form in exchange for one of her fins. The deadline can only be extended if she succeeds in her revenge or receives the kiss of true love. Gladis agrees. In agony, she begins to transform. In the process, she slips into a space between realities where the documentary recordings reappear. The worlds begin to overlap, and under the sign of the “Red Whale,” Gladis and Isi merge into one.
Act 2
In human form, Isi-Gladis suddenly finds herself in the middle of a demonstration. The police try to restore order with water cannons. Isi- Gladis, however, seeks out the water and in doing so catches the attention of Abad and Ge, who are leading the protest. They pull her out of the water cannon’s spray and take her to their hideout. There, they share their goals. Isi-Gladis, in turn, tells them about her plan to sink the largest human ship.
Abad and Ge take her along on an attack against the giant aquarium of a luxury restaurant. After the explosion, Isi-Gladis tries to save the fish while Abad and Ge attempt to escape. All three are arrested. In the liminal world, Isi-Gladis is interrogated and pressured to confess that she is a wanted terrorist named Ulrike.
Act 3
Isi-Gladis’s time is running out. The Leviathan offers her a return to her old life, but she still wants revenge and chooses to stay with Abad and Ge. She searches for the deadline-extending kiss of true love, but when she tries to kiss Abad, he pushes her away, surrendering to self-pity and resignation.
Act 4
In a confrontation with Ge, Isi-Gladis has a revelation: true love is not for a person, but for an idea. Through her experience of shifting between worlds, Isi-Gladis recognizes the connections and shows Ge that they are all characters in an opera. So why not seize the opportunity and take the audience hostage? When Ge threatens Pip with a gun, the situation escalates. Isi-Gladis stands up to Ge and calls on the Leviathan for help, who restores order and ends the overlap between worlds. Gladis’s time is up. Back underwater, she encounters Lone again, who demands his reward and cuts off one of her fins.
Act 3
Isi-Gladis’s time is running out. The Leviathan offers her a return to her old life, but she still wants revenge and chooses to stay with Abad and Ge. She searches for the deadline-extending kiss of true love, but when she tries to kiss Abad, he pushes her away, surrendering to self-pity and resignation.
Act 4
In a confrontation with Ge, Isi-Gladis has a revelation: true love is not for a person, but for an idea. Through her experience of shifting between worlds, Isi-Gladis recognizes the connections and shows Ge that they are all characters in an opera. So why not seize the opportunity and take the audience hostage? When Ge threatens Pip with a gun, the situation escalates. Isi-Gladis stands up to Ge and calls on the Leviathan for help, who restores order and ends the overlap between worlds. Gladis’s time is up. Back underwater, she encounters Lone again, who demands his reward and cuts off one of her fins.
Video-Trailer
All about „Der rote Wal“
Supporting program for the world premiere
Guided tour by the curator
The Haus der Geschichte Baden-Württemberg explores the RAF terror in Germany in its exhibition Stammheim 1975, bringing the first Stammheim trial to life through original audio recordings from the courtroom.
Sun, June 1, 2025; 9:45 am / 1 pm
Sun, June 22, 2025; 1 pm
Sun, July 20, 2025; 4 pm
7 €
Sun, June 1, 2025; 9:45 am / 1 pm
Sun, June 22, 2025; 1 pm
Sun, July 20, 2025; 4 pm
7 €
Audio drama
A call for donations to support imprisoned RAF members posted at the Staatstheater Stuttgart, a weapon taken from the theatre’s own armory, threatening letters from the public to the artistic director – this evening takes us back to the theatre and city history of the 1970s.
Fri, June 13, 2025
8 pm
Admission free, ticket required
Fri, June 13, 2025
8 pm
Admission free, ticket required