A troupe of travelling players under the direction of Viennese magician Kratky-Baschik are working under high pressure to create their very own, darker version of Mozart’s opera THE MAGIC FLUTE. The end justifies any means: they write new songs in a variety of styles (“Who will be the first to hit f6?”). Based on the original composition, they mix fragments of the libretto with improvisations and new lyrics, and, in terms of aesthetics, they search for a style reminiscent of the lost world of vaudeville, cabaret and Prater street theatre. This (fictional) group’s crises and joyful moments along the path to the perfect show increasingly blend with the real origin story of Mozart’s world famous opera.
In 1791, the year of his death, the highly indebted composer completes his work about Pamina and Tamino, who find their way to each other in the midst of a clash between dark forces. This highlights the utopia of a kingdom of reason and humanism in which colourful characters also find their place. THE MAGIC FLUTE, which will go on to become the most famous opera in the world, premieres on a backyard stage in Vienna. The return to this world where everything began becomes a joyful, musical reflection on the magic of the stage and the power of togetherness. Mozart and Schikaneder would have danced in their graves.