Merkel is a Wagnerian electro-opera about the most influential woman of this moment in history; Angela Dorothea Merkel. Merkel is the Chancellor of Germany, tacitly the leader of Europe, and, next to Theresa May, the only woman in a male-dominated political world. In an age in which right wing populism flourishes and polarizes Europe, Merkel tries to unite the European people; she offers a helping hand in the financial collapse of Greece and the international refugee crisis. She chooses the general interest of the people over her personal beliefs. What does it take to be Merkel? And how long is this way of conducting politics sustainable for Europe and for herself? In order to get answers to these questions, Nineties crawls into her skin. The theatre makers throw themselves into the struggle between self-interest and altruism, between the individual and the collective. Based on political speeches and biographical sources, childhood memories and fictional encounters, Nineties creates a portrait of the Mutti of Germany and an ode to the struggle of the (seemingly) egoless (wo)man.

CREDITS

On stage: Annelinde Bruijs, Benjamin Moen, Yannick Noomen, Sannah Aukes
Off stage: Floor Houwink ten Cate, Anne Maike Mertens
Composition: Niels Broos, Annelinde Bruijs
Scenography: Julian Maiwald
Sound: Robert van Delft
Lighting: HP Hulscher
Marketing: Esra Johanna Merkel | Producer: Merel Hobrink | Business Manager: Bjorn Jansen
Thanks to: Amsterdams Fonds voor de Kunst, De Coproducers, Gemeente Utrecht