Der rote Wal

The red whale

by Vivan and Ketan Bhatti and Markus Winter
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
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.
Location
Opernhaus
World premiere
June 18, 2025 in Stuttgart

Recommended age
from grade 8
There will be a german introduction 45 minutes before the performance at the Upper Foyer (I. Rang).
Jun 2025
https://www.staatsoperstuttgart.de Staatsoper Stuttgart Oberer Schloßgarten 6, 70173 Stuttgart

Wed
18
19:00
Opernhaus
World Premiere, Stuzubis 10 € already on presale!
8 / 20,50 / 33 / 49 / 66 / 82 / 99 / 119 / 139 €
https://www.staatsoperstuttgart.de Staatsoper Stuttgart Oberer Schloßgarten 6, 70173 Stuttgart

Sun
22
15:00
Opernhaus
Stuzubis 10 € already on presale!
8 / 18,50 / 29 / 43 / 58 / 72 / 90 / 108 / 126 €
https://www.staatsoperstuttgart.de Staatsoper Stuttgart Oberer Schloßgarten 6, 70173 Stuttgart

Sun
29
19:00
Opernhaus
8 / 18,50 / 29 / 43 / 58 / 72 / 90 / 108 / 126 €
Jul 2025
https://www.staatsoperstuttgart.de Staatsoper Stuttgart Oberer Schloßgarten 6, 70173 Stuttgart

Thu
17
19:00
Opernhaus
8 / 18,50 / 29 / 43 / 58 / 72 / 90 / 108 / 126 €
https://www.staatsoperstuttgart.de Staatsoper Stuttgart Oberer Schloßgarten 6, 70173 Stuttgart

Sun
20
18:00
Opernhaus
Stuzubis 10 € already on presale!
8 / 18,50 / 29 / 43 / 58 / 72 / 90 / 108 / - €
https://www.staatsoperstuttgart.de Staatsoper Stuttgart Oberer Schloßgarten 6, 70173 Stuttgart

Tue
22
19:00
Opernhaus
8 / 20,50 / 33 / 49 / 66 / 82 / 99 / 119 / 139 €
Dec 2025
https://www.staatsoperstuttgart.de Staatsoper Stuttgart Oberer Schloßgarten 6, 70173 Stuttgart

Wed
17
19:00
Opernhaus
First performance this season
8-115 € / G
Tickets available from presale start
https://www.staatsoperstuttgart.de Staatsoper Stuttgart Oberer Schloßgarten 6, 70173 Stuttgart

Mon
22
19:00
Opernhaus
8-115 € / G
Tickets available from presale start
Cast
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
https://www.staatsoperstuttgart.de Staatsoper Stuttgart Oberer Schloßgarten 6, 70173 Stuttgart

Mon
29
19:00
Opernhaus
8-115 € / G
Tickets available from presale start
Jan 2026
https://www.staatsoperstuttgart.de Staatsoper Stuttgart Oberer Schloßgarten 6, 70173 Stuttgart

Wed
7
19:30
Opernhaus
8-115 € / G
Tickets available from presale start
https://www.staatsoperstuttgart.de Staatsoper Stuttgart Oberer Schloßgarten 6, 70173 Stuttgart

Sat
17
19:30
Opernhaus
8-126 € / H
Tickets available from presale start
https://www.staatsoperstuttgart.de Staatsoper Stuttgart Oberer Schloßgarten 6, 70173 Stuttgart

Mon
19
19:30
Opernhaus
8-115 € / G
Tickets available from presale start
https://www.staatsoperstuttgart.de Staatsoper Stuttgart Oberer Schloßgarten 6, 70173 Stuttgart

Thu
22
19:30
Opernhaus
Zum letzten Mal in dieser Spielzeit
8-115 € / G
Tickets available from presale start

All about „Der rote Wal“

Supporting program for the world premiere
Panel Talk
Introductory matinee
Two weeks before the world premiere of Der rote Wal, we invite you to a panel discussion with the director and conductor, offering insights into the piece as well as its musical and theatrical concept.

Sun, June 1, 2025
11 am
5 €
Guided tour by the curator
Stammheim 1975 – The RAF Process
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 €
Guided city tour
RAF in Stuttgart
Where did Andreas Baader and Gudrun Ensslin hide? Where was the office of RAF defense lawyer Klaus Croissant located? This guided tour through downtown Stuttgart visits several locations and tells stories connected to the RAF.

Wed, June 4, 2025
Thu, July 17, 2025
both at 4 pm
12 €
Literature club
Gladis’ Resistance
A fairy tale, a political thriller, a parable? Der rote Wal is all of that—and more. Written by rapper and singer-songwriter Markus Winter, aka Maeckes, it blends grand opera, musical, and rap into one unique work.

Thu, July 10, 2025
7 pm
Admission free, registration required
Audio drama
Rant against Peymann
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
Workshop
How Do I Find My Own Voice?
A Workshop for Young Writers with Rapper Maeckes

More information coming soon.

Sat, July 19, 2025
4–8 pm
Registration required