Das kalte Herz
- Location:
- Wilhelma Theater, Neckartalstr. 9, 70376 Stuttgart
Based on the fairy tale by Wilhelm Hauff
Stage adaptation by Edith Ehrhardt
Peter Munk, a young charcoal burner from the Black Forest, dreams of rising in the world. He longs for wealth, recognition, and a better life. As a “Sunday child,” he is allowed to make three wishes to the mysterious little glass man—and chooses money, success, and social prestige. But he soon realizes that this does not satisfy him. In his greed, he turns to the sinister Dutchman Michel, who promises him immeasurable wealth if he gives up his beating heart in exchange for a heart of stone. The young charcoal burner agrees, but soon discovers that while a heart of stone brings wealth, it also brings coldness and loneliness. Peter loses not only his humanity but also his joy in life and in human connection. Only after he has gambled everything away once again does he realize what truly matters.
The classic fairy tale “The Cold Heart” by Wilhelm Hauff is a fitting parable for our modern world and our economic practices as well. At the Lindenhof Theater, this fairy-tale story is reimagined for adults. With heart and mind, with joy and love, with plenty of music and powerful imagery, this story about the human condition is retold. It transports you into the world of fairy tales—and strikes right at the heart of life, right at the heart of who we are: a passionate appeal for humanity, warmth, and what connects us at our very core.
Adaptation & Direction: Edith Ehrhardt
Set & Costumes: Barbara Fumian
Music: Julia Klomfaß
Cast: Berthold Biesinger, Hannah Im Hof, Franz Xaver Ott, Linda Schlepps, Luca Zahn
Guest performance by Theater Lindenhof at the Wilhelma Theater