Alles Schwindel

About

Antje Thoms’ staging of the 1931 musical burlesque Alles Schwindel transforms the Antoniushaus stage into a vibrant, pop-art comic-strip world. The production uses an open stage concept with dressing rooms visible left and right, where actors prepare before entering in glittering costumes. The visual design by Jan Hendrik Neidert and Lorena Díaz Stephens features bold comic-book elements, including oversized speech and thought bubbles and exaggerated props like giant inflatable hammers. The direction emphasizes the work’s timeless themes—deception, fake identities, and the tension between appearance and reality—drawing parallels to modern dating apps and “alternative facts.” A six-piece live band led by Thomas Basy at the piano delivers the jazz-infused sound of the Roaring Twenties. The ten-person ensemble sings tightly woven, multi-part arrangements reminiscent of the Comedian Harmonists. Note: Stroboscopic lighting effects are used in the production.