AIDA opera

War erodes humanity

A completely newly built theatre space, the INTERIM is a 360° space performance space for 850 visitors. It stands for a contemporary production method that proactively shapes new visual perceptions, new spaces, and new forms of narration. As an artistic Team we see opera as a tangible place, in which society physically comes together and engages in substantial dialogue with one another each evening. With Verdis´ opera Aida, we inaugurate the space as an immersive one-of-a-kind experience. Audience mixes with the singers and chorus and experience the massive work from within. They participate in the storytelling of a parable about the decline of old Europe, in which opera and politics go hand in hand. With Aida, Verdi wrote one of the most impressive anti- war works of the 19th century. Aida makes the radically humanistic point that war erodes humanity. No matter which side you're on, no matter what the reasons: war makes love impossible and even the combined suffocation at the end of the opera is a desperate plea for peace. Based on these relationships and analogies, continuities and contradictions, our production takes its premise from Fellini's operatic ship É la nave va, on which, on the eve of World War I, an illustrious group of travelers from the worlds of politics, opera, and boat refugees are heading for disaster.
So for this spectacular opening we implemented an 18 meter diameter revolving stage in the 20 by 50 meter hall, with which we could turn half of the audience. All over the space are evenly distributed flybars, a four level high scaffolding with a total length of 160 m and a heights of 10 m, sourrounding the scenic area. A 20 m long bridge can serve as an enourmous elevator between levels. Video screeens throughout the hall and huge monitors show live filmed scenes and preproduced videos. Throughout the different seasons we can change the space by moving the 12 grandstands and create everchanging landscapes of combined auditorium and scenic space.