A Friend Is A Treasure, More Precious Than Gold.
For love shared is priceless, and never grows old.
Rumpelstilzchen (Rumpelstiltskin)
Grimm Festspiele, Hanau, Germany, 23rd May 2015
Rumpelstiltskin is most probably one of the most well known Brothers Grimm fairytales.
After the character was already featured in last year's (slightly disappointing) show "Es War Einmal" (read about it >>here) and Hans B. Goetzfried playing him outplaying everyone else it was just a most logical decision to bring the actual Rumpelstiltskin story on stage.
And after debuting at the festival last year, directing the show mentioned above and writing another one it was Jan Radermacher's job not only writing the book but also the music AND directing the show (busy boy) - with Hans B. Goetzfried reprising the character - enough reasons for me to go to Hanau again.
Creative Team
Book/Music/Director: Jan RadermacherMusical Director: Markus Syperek
Choreography: Bart De Clercq
Musical Arrangements: Timo Riegelsberger
Stage Design: Tobias Schunck
Costumes: Ulla Röhrs
Cast
Rumpelstiltskin - Hans B. Goetzfried
Miller's Daughter named Sophie - Katja StraubKing named Richard - Florian Rast
Archduchess Irmengard (the king's aunt) - Barbara Bach
Earl Edelhard Von Knitter / Hammelswade, a goblin - Benedikt Selzner
Septimus Krauskopf, miller / Rippenbiest, goblin king - Detlef Nyga
Jojo, miller's son / Schnürbein, a goblin - Marcus Schneider
Alma, chambermaid / Quaddelwurm, a goblin - Nadine Buchet
As it can be seen already at the character naming and with additional characters the story (if you are one of the very few people not knowing the original read it >>here), while in the key elements stay closely to the original, Jan Radermacher has given it some more substance adding new levels, twists and perspectives.
In the opening scene we see Rumpelstiltskin, defined as a goblin, something not done in the original story, being lazy and alone at home this being what he loves most. He has no friends, wants no friends and thinks he is better off without anyone in his life.
Then rather out of blue three other goblins and the goblin king visit him with the latter demanding that his subjects bring him a human child but one of royal blood who is to serve him. Rumpelstiltskin ends up with the task doing this. If he fails he will be the king's slave.
Walking around the humans he bumps into Jojo, the miller's son and Sophie's brother, outside the mill who tells him all about what it needs to get a baby - a bride, a wedding, some smooching and a stork.
Jojo has just stolen a golden necklace from the king who is following him with his finance minister Von Knitter but Jojo manages to escape and chain up the king with some help from Rumpelstiltskin. Sophie comes to rescue and both are attracted to each other the moment they set eyes on each other. Rumpelstiltskin watches this and comes up with a plan.
By accident the king and the finance minister learn that Sophie apparently can spin straw into gold.
Richard does not care about this but the finance minister who eventually sets up a plan with Richard's evil aunt who is after the throne and kidnap Sophie and lock her in a tower. Yes, Rumpelstiltskin comes to help but only for something in return - one day he will come around and ask for something and Sophie has to give it to him.
Sophie's kidnapping has obviously not gone unnoticed and eventually Richard, her father and her brother rescue her - Richard's aunt and the finance minister get banned from the castle and with some magic from Rumpelstiltskin Richard proposes to Sophie and they get married.
Act 2 is set nearly a year later Sophie and Richard have become parents of a baby son they want to name after their little helper (and whom they consider as a friend) Rumpelstiltskin so they (let) search for him.
The goblin king who learnt of the search but does not realise why visits Rumpelstiltskin requesting the child and after some pursueing Rumpelstiltskin is off to fulfill his job.
This not being the known story there are a few more twists and surprises including an unexpected ending in which not only the audience are reminded of what friendship really means - that it is about caring, supporting and standing up each other even if it means paying a price once in a while.
Jan Radermacher certainly once again came up with a most clever witty book redefining and modernising the characters so well giving them three dimensional personalities, so they are not, as often the case in the Grimm stories, just black and white, here they have all kind of shades.
Rumpelstiltskin is not just a rather evil creature, no he comes across almost human with having his moods, having feelings, even being likeable. Think of grumpy as of the seven dwarfs in Disney’s Snow White and you get the idea.
Obviously to keep the balance of good and bad and with making Rumpelstiltskin more amiable plus also king Richard coming across a lot more charming and not greedy as it is not him getting the miller's daughter to spin but the power crazed aunt and the finance minister take over the "bad" element of a fairy tale (even if they are occasionally a bit too dumb than bad that they sometimes appear more as a farce).
What I did not need though were the on modern tv and movie quotes and moments based elements as when Richard says to his unnamed baby son "Luke, I am your father" or Sesame Street's Count von Count's typical saying (at least in the German version).
Yes it added laughs but just for the sake of them I do not want such things in a show. Okay, that is me nit picking again as there were so many clever directing ideas but also in the choreography within the this year much better designed stage (so not keen on the set last year) that made me think how someone (okay most probably with some help but still...) can come up with so much creativity in a two hour show.
The music is satisfying and suits the scenes even if, to be honest, the following day, when seeing "The Wizard Of Oz", for which Jan Radermacher also wrote the music, I was more impressed - a hell lot more.
I do not know whether it was the music or the arrangements but it sounded a bit too fuzzy, too exchangeable sometimes - just a song that closed the act 1 and performed as a brief encore at the curtain call really kept stuck in my head.
This is definitely again Hans B. Goetzfried's show. Yes, some of the grumpy Rumpelstiltskin moments appeared familiar as seen I do not know how often in his portrayal of Gustav in my beloved Villa Sonnenschein but but while the book and the directing already makes Rumpelstiltskin more likeable it is Hans who fills the part with authenticity and backbone.
Florian Rast whom I adored in the other show Jan wrote last year as the nerdy Johannes is lovely even if not your typical picture of a handsome fairytale king being a bit quirky and peculiar but it adds charme and distinctiveness to the character.
I simply love watching him what he makes out of even small moments as when Rumpelstiltskin puts a spell on them during the wedding getting them to perform a little dance.
The others focused rather hard on the technique, him on the other hand actually really made me believe that there's magic put on them having to do something they do not want to do as e.g. hectically moving his eyes.
I am just glad though that his character has little to sing, as while he is imho a great actor his singing, well, is a bit off and made me cringe.
Marcus Schneider as Jojo, the miller's son, is a pleasant surprise. In last year's show he was a bit blah for me but here he is adorable, so sweetly chirpy and blithe coming across as a proper boy
Detlef Nyga’s portrayal of the miller somehow reminds a bit too much of Belle’s father in The Beauty and the Beast, him also thinking of him as an inventor but more messing up things and bringing chaos into the family’s life but as the goblin king while certainly occasionally a caricature brings royal underworld grandeur on stage. Nadine Buchet is a bouncy caring chambermaid, and Barbara Bach as the king's aunt and Benedikt Selzner as the finance minister are so hilariously scheming and conniving that it is FUN watching them.
The one person I was though not keen on was Katja Straub as the miller's daughter, Sophie.
She is lovely to look at but comes across as too stiff and implausible - as when she sets eyes on the king the first time - watching Florian you can see the feeling them falling for each other in an instant in every pore, watching Katja you can see... not much. Maybe it is the lack of routine, the lack of experience, and am sure others liked her but I have seen some wonderful actresses in similar roles and I felt and could see a lot more. The same goes for her singing. Her character has a bit more to sing and while she certainly hit the right notes most of the time it again lacked empathy or any kind of emotions in her voice for me.
Overall an entertaining afternoon spent in Hanau (or shall I say two as I also watched one of the two shows the following day wanting to see the cast without opening tension and with largely "normal" audience (enjoyed that a lot more) and not this rather snobby invited premiere audience as a large number of seats were reserved for the sponsors etc. (yes, important to have sponsors but 1/3 of the budget comes from taxes - and who pays them? Yes, the ordinary audience and they had the choice go some other day for good seats but a few returns for the premiere or sit in the cheaper seats - okay rambling over)) watching a well written show with decent music directed smartly and a (largely) top class. Worth seeing!
Some pictures of the show can be found on the official Grimm Festspiele website >>here.
Curtain Call Pictures:
I am just glad though that his character has little to sing, as while he is imho a great actor his singing, well, is a bit off and made me cringe.
Marcus Schneider as Jojo, the miller's son, is a pleasant surprise. In last year's show he was a bit blah for me but here he is adorable, so sweetly chirpy and blithe coming across as a proper boy
Detlef Nyga’s portrayal of the miller somehow reminds a bit too much of Belle’s father in The Beauty and the Beast, him also thinking of him as an inventor but more messing up things and bringing chaos into the family’s life but as the goblin king while certainly occasionally a caricature brings royal underworld grandeur on stage. Nadine Buchet is a bouncy caring chambermaid, and Barbara Bach as the king's aunt and Benedikt Selzner as the finance minister are so hilariously scheming and conniving that it is FUN watching them.
The one person I was though not keen on was Katja Straub as the miller's daughter, Sophie.
She is lovely to look at but comes across as too stiff and implausible - as when she sets eyes on the king the first time - watching Florian you can see the feeling them falling for each other in an instant in every pore, watching Katja you can see... not much. Maybe it is the lack of routine, the lack of experience, and am sure others liked her but I have seen some wonderful actresses in similar roles and I felt and could see a lot more. The same goes for her singing. Her character has a bit more to sing and while she certainly hit the right notes most of the time it again lacked empathy or any kind of emotions in her voice for me.
Overall an entertaining afternoon spent in Hanau (or shall I say two as I also watched one of the two shows the following day wanting to see the cast without opening tension and with largely "normal" audience (enjoyed that a lot more) and not this rather snobby invited premiere audience as a large number of seats were reserved for the sponsors etc. (yes, important to have sponsors but 1/3 of the budget comes from taxes - and who pays them? Yes, the ordinary audience and they had the choice go some other day for good seats but a few returns for the premiere or sit in the cheaper seats - okay rambling over)) watching a well written show with decent music directed smartly and a (largely) top class. Worth seeing!
Some pictures of the show can be found on the official Grimm Festspiele website >>here.
Curtain Call Pictures:
