Reineke Fuchs

At Whitsun the lion king Nobel invites his subjects to his court for an early summer celebration. The entire animal kingdom gathers – ranging from the crane to the wolf and the bear. Only one animal is missing: the fox called Reineke. As soon as his name his mentioned, the mood of harmony vanishes. One angry accusation follows another and Reinike the fox is charged in his absence with a series of incredible crimes. The cockerel, for example, complains of losing his wife and children – Reineke ate them for supper. When he is eventually put on trial, the accomplished liar – an animal equivalent of Ibsen’s Peer Gynt – manages to pull the wool over everyone’s eyes – man, woman or creature – and slip his neck out of the noose. Eventually he even acquires a whole crowd of followers and is elected Chancellor.

The moral of the story is that not everyone with foxy cunning and a talent for oratory puts those gifts to benevolent use – on the contrary! But how can we tell the difference between truth and lies? How can we avoid being taken in by the peddlers of fake news? How can we remain faithful to our own opinions and values?

Johann Wolfgang von Goethe was fascinated by the topicality of the 15th century epic «La chanson de Renart» which tells the story of the rogue fox as a parody of the feudal order of the late Middle Ages. He saw parallels with his own time marked by social upheaval, and wrote his own new translation and adaptation. The satirical work in twelve verses that reminds us of our own «quaking society» has in turn provided the basis for many further adaptations for both children and adults.

The director, musician and singer with the Hamburg band «Die Goldenen Zitronen» Schorsch Kamerun, who recently invited Residenztheater audiences to the happening/gala «All together now!», stages «Reineke Fuchs» with an ensemble of flamboyant actors and singers as a dizzying theatrical musical for anyone aged ten and over.