Hans im Glück

Hans receives a lump of gold as a reward for seven years of work and makes his way home. On the way, he meets various people who invite him to trade: his gold for a horse, the horse for a cow, the cow for a pig, the pig for a goose and the goose for a rock. He is happy about every exchange, as they all confirm a good deal for him. When the heavy stone falls into a well at the end, Hans sets off again, happy and free from all burdens.

The Grimm fairy tale initially contradicts our current logic of worth and unworth, of luck and bad luck. This can be interpreted in different ways: “Only the simple-minded find happiness” or “Freedom is more than possession” or “The world wants to be deceived.” Director Matthias Schönfeldt, who also designed the text version, sees this openness as a strength and creates a kaleidoscope of possible approaches. To do this, he provides Hans with two 'advisors' as inner voices. In this way, he involves the audience in the escalating disputes about what is “a good exchange,” which action is “wise,” and above all: what makes you happy.

Hans starts off in a Rhönrad, which can represent the course of the world, but also Fortuna's wheel of fortune. The animals are symbolized by round, ever smaller metal rings, which Hans and his exchange partners engage with artistically and playfully. Shades of the traded animals create a connection to this symbolic, imagination-inspiring stage world, in which the Rhönrad sometimes becomes a tavern, a well or a prison and the 'counselors' take on other roles such as farmer or goosebeard. As the preview for school classes impressively showed, children get into the story extremely quickly and also discuss their own path to happiness.