At Vienna's Burgtheater, Ewald Palmetshofer brings Sankt Falstaff to the stage, a powerful, contemporary reinterpretation of one of the greatest characters from Shakespeare's world. Politics, power, and human contradictions collide in this dark and comical parable, offering insight into our own times.
Saint Falstaff tells of politics and power, of the divide between the top and the bottom, between the rulers and the ruled. In a world where the state is sinking into chaos and a quasi-king is searching for a suitable successor, an unusual relationship develops between the soldier John Falstaff and Prince Harri. These two characters meet in Frau Flott's container pub – friendship, intimacy, or something else? Their story unfolds amid social upheaval, while the "poison of power" has a destructive effect on relationships and society as a whole.
In his adaptation of Shakespeare's famous character, Ewald Palmetshofer explores the depths of a dystopian world. His update of the royal drama not only takes the classic material as its template, but also uses it to create a play for the present day, in which questions of power, violence, hope, and human closeness become unmistakable. Directed by Karin Henkel, this eloquent, sparkling production grapples with the present and asks why times are not getting better—and whether there is still room for hope amid all the upheaval.
Austrian premiere May 9, 2026
