Deutsches Schauspielhaus Hamburg Launches Fremde Sonne Theater Cycle
- Deutsches Schauspielhaus Hamburg launched the opening weekend of its second theatrical cycle on Sept.
- The second season serves as a prequel to the previous festival hit, taking audiences back to the Greek city of Iolkos during a period of deep economic and...
- Opening night featured an unexpected literary reading after Michael Wittenborn was forced to enter the hospital directly from final dress rehearsals just two days before the premiere.
Deutsches Schauspielhaus Hamburg launched the opening weekend of its second theatrical cycle on Sept. 27, 2026, premiering Roland Schimmelpfennig and Karin Beier’s production “Fremde Sonne.” Following the three-year run of their five-part hit “Anthropolis,” the new cycle examines the ancient Argonaut myth as the foundational narrative of imperial and colonial enterprise.
A Mythological Prequel on the Hamburg Stage
The second season serves as a prequel to the previous festival hit, taking audiences back to the Greek city of Iolkos during a period of deep economic and social crisis. According to production materials from Deutsches Schauspielhaus Hamburg, the cycle explores the Ur-history of civilization’s expansion and the catastrophic pursuit of the Golden Fleece. Director Karin Beier oversees a staging that avoids contemporary updates, instead relying on precise choreography and stark visual spaces to interrogate cosmic power structures and historical greed.
Improvisation and Ensemble Performances
Opening night featured an unexpected literary reading after Michael Wittenborn was forced to enter the hospital directly from final dress rehearsals just two days before the premiere. Playwright Roland Schimmelpfennig stepped onto the stage in front of the black curtain to read the opening verses himself, recounting the celestial origins of the Golden Fleece, the tale of the star-drawer Theophane, and Poseidon transformed into a sheep. Once the curtain rose, the ensemble carried the performance forward, with Lina Beckmann in the cast alongside Devid Striesow in the unconventional role of Iason.
Marathon Scheduling and Upcoming Finales
The initial weekend featured three parts of the cycle across a marathon schedule, beginning with the prologue, interlude, and “Die Argonauten” on Sept. 26, followed by “Medea in Kolchis” and “Medea in Korinth” on Sept. 27. The theater notes that the final installment of the six-part overarching series, “Medea in Athen: Der gefundene Sohn,” is scheduled to premiere on Feb. 6, 2027. Marathon tickets and individual bookings for subsequent cycles in October 2026 remain available through the theater’s box office and official scheduling portal.