Sankt Falstaff

Freely adapted from Shakespeare's "King Henry IV"

Theater am Domhof
Premiere: August 30, 2026

Democracy is crumbling. Populism, intrigue, and corruption emanate from the center of power, at the heart of which the lonely “quasi-king” Heinz has sat on the throne since his coup d’état. But it is not only the form of government that is ailing; its sovereign himself is crumbling from within. Who will succeed him? His son Harri, instead of engaging in politics, passes his time indulging in the finer things in life. Together with his friend John, he drinks, gets high, and indulges in love at Mrs. Flott’s bar. John Falstaff is the prince of night owls, the good life, and pleasure, and he’s searching for something that will outlast the intoxication. But when Harri receives a tempting offer from the seat of power, not only the future of the state but also the relationship between this unlikely pair is called into question. How brutal has our world really become? Will love endure? And can democracy be saved?

*Saint Falstaff*strikes a chord with the spirit of the times, for nothing less than the great dualisms of the present day clash here: humanity versus self-interest, community versus isolation, and love versus hate. With crude verbal wit and tragic precision, Ewald Palmetshofer crafts a reimagining of Shakespeare’s *Henry IV* that catapults the English master playwright into the 21st century.

“How do you avoid becoming toxic in a society that’s about to go to hell? How does that work? How do you do it? Tell me!”