Euripides / Jean Giraudoux / Jérôme Junod
The War That Was Never Supposed to Happen: A Tragicomedy Between Hope and Destruction.
Dates: February 16 through March 21
Lida Winiewicz
An officer, his servant, and six weeks of house arrest: a biting comedy by the great Austrian author.
Dates: February 19 through March 20
Olga Flor / Nataliya Lizorkina
Two women defy the madness of our times through their brilliant writing.
Dates: February 24 through March 20
Fox On Ice
A Visually Stunning Concert Performance: The Unheard Voices of the Women of Troy.
Dates: February 26 through March 18
Prominent guests share their thoughts on this year’s theme, “Violently Happy”: Paulus Hochgatterer, Tamara Scheer, Lisz Hirn, Franz-Stefan Gady, Olga Flor, Erich Prem, Dimitré Dinev, Claudia Brunner, and Franz Schuh.
Dates: Sun , Feb. 21, 28, and Mar. 7, 14, 21
A playful test of knowledge with quizmaster Jérôme Junod
Termine: Di 23. Februar & Di 16. März
The Wortwiege classic: linguistic fireworks about a murderous love affair.
Dates: Sat , Feb. 27 & Sat, Mar. 6
With the fascinating term “Violently Happy”—which Björk made world-famous in 1993 with her electrifying song—Wortwiege kicks off a season of creatively exploring happiness in turbulent times: The exploration of the myths surrounding Troy continues in the forms of spoken-word and musical theater. The rediscovery of Lida Winiewicz’s biting comedy “Das Zimmer” as well as provocative plays by Olga Flor and Nataliya Lizorkina reveal highly topical facets of the theme. Speeches by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie, Viktor Frankl, and others will be featured, as will passionate discussions in the public salon with Paulus Hochgatterer, Lisz Hirn, Franz-Stefan Gady, Tamara Scheer, Franz Schuh, and other prominent guests.
“How do we preserve both the great and the small joys of life in the face of a present that is increasingly marked by violence? How do we deal with the powerlessness into which this question plunges us—whether we ask it or not? And in the face of violence, can happiness not only be permissible but even a form of resistance? Let’s explore this through play and start a conversation!” , suggests festival director Anna Luca Krassnigg.
Anna Luca Krassnigg
(Artistic Director)
Wortwiege invites you to the traditional Festival Aperitif.
We are presenting the festival programme and introducing the season motto »Violently Happy«. On Happiness in Violent Times: background information on the programme, the featured theatre forms, as well as the artists and salon guests of this edition await you. We will highlight the central themes and look forward to an exchange at the bar and in the salon!
Moderation: Anna Luca Krassnigg
With artists from the festival
Free admission with advance registration:
Once an archaic defensive structure from the Renaissance, the Kasematten Wiener Neustadt impress with their harmonious underground vaults and create a world of its own for the Wortwiege Festival. A “radiant darkness”, as it was described in an architectural review in the newspaper “Standard”.
The heart of the Kasematten and entrance to the festival is the “Strada Coperta” – the vaulted street where the guns used to be driven up. Three huge, interconnected barrel vaults with a room height of 8 meters form the stage for theatre performances and salons of the Wortwiege Festival.
Wiener Neustadt, founded in 1192 by the Babenbergs as a fortified “Neuenstat” and later elevated to the status of an imperial residence, today combines history with a vibrant cultural scene and a lively city center. With the revitalization of cultural venues such as the Kasematten, the Museum St. Peter an der Sperr, and the newly opened Stadttheater, Wiener Neustadt’s cultural offerings have become much more attractive. In addition to the Wortwiege Festival, a wide variety of events take place here, including the Bösendorfer Festival, the Milch & Honig Festival, the Wiener Neustadt Summer of Culture, the Literature Festival, and diverse programmes of cabaret, concerts, and theater performances.
