Illyria, the kingdom of desire, is the backdrop for a society of chronically lovelorn characters: narcissists, drunk on love (and wine), yearning, and hope- and boundlessly in love with the wrong people. It is a world where indolence is more important than industry, indulgence is worth more than frugality. And yet, melancholy and stasis are the order of the day. Because Duke Orsino, the ruler of the realm, is unhappily enamoured with Countess Orsina and his unrequited love causes general paralysis. Only when a shipwreck washes a girl named Viola ashore, things start to move. To protect herself, she takes on the disguise of a man and goes into the Duke’s service. As his envoy of love, she seduces the Countess with her androgynous charm and confuses the emotions of Orsino and his entire hedonistic court.
The courtyard of the Schauspielhaus will serve as the backdrop for a game of confusion, in which the characters conceal themselves behind apparently feigned identities. Ronny Jakubaschk is director-in-residence in the company of Neues Theater Halle and works as a freelancer at State Theatres in Mainz, Karlsruhe and Cottbus. His productions have been invited to festivals including Radikal Jung, Autorentheatertage Berlin and Augenblick mal!