Hessisches Staatstheater Wiesbaden / Nikolaus Habjan (DE/AT)

The reckless mouth puppets of puppet master Nikolaus Habjan take over the stage! In his celebrated production at the Basel Theatre, now in the repertoire of the Hessisches Staatstheater Wiesbaden, everyone is drawn into the fast-paced, funny and sometimes darkly absurd confusion surrounding the barber Figaro. No one escapes the puppets – until the happy ending. A comedy for families as well as for a good evening with friends.

Figaro is not only the best barber in town, but also a playmaker, schemer and jack-of-all-trades. With calculated chaos and all kinds of masquerades, he manages to free Rosina from the clutches of her guardian Bartolo and brings her together with the handsome Count Almaviva. The ensemble demonstrates its comedic talent by singing and playing puppets, while the puppets themselves increasingly take on a life of their own alongside their singing counterparts. The orchestra sits close to the audience on the proscenium and becomes a co-actor in this production

The Austrian director, puppeteer, Nestroy Award winner and trained musical theatre director Nikolaus Habjan, known for his precise and courageous collages “F. Zawrel” and “Böhm”, both of which were presented at the international.figuren.theater.festival, also directs operas and musical revues. His production of “The Barber of Seville” at the Theater Basel was transferred to the Hessisches Staatstheater Wiesbaden.