Samuel Finzi & Herbert Knaup at Admiralspalast Berlin

About the Event

A stage fairy tale with music based on Charles Dickens – With Samuel Finzi, Herbert Knaup, and ensemble

Alongside the story of Jesus' birth, it is probably the most frequently told literary subject of the Advent season: Charles Dickens' Christmas Carol. The socially critical tale of the old miser Ebenezer Scrooge, who is visited by four ghosts on Christmas Eve and rediscovers his humanity through them, is a classic. There is no theater that has not performed this work several times.

So why a new version? Director and producer Martin Mühleis has enjoyed great success in recent years with stage adaptations of literary works. His adaptation of Erich Kästner's autobiographical story “When I Was a Little Boy,” starring Walter Sittler in the lead role, alone has been performed more than 500 times. Together with composer Libor Síma, he has now created a musical stage fairy tale for the two actors Samuel Finzi and Herbert Knaup. Its aesthetics are reminiscent of old black‐and‐white films and it plays with elements of literary revues. The music and clever lighting design create spaces – yet the literary text always plays the leading role, with the tempo, rhythm, and structure of the novella preserved even in the reading version.

First published in 1843, this story seems timeless and relevant today. Especially in an age of egocentricity, with self‐centered individuals and iPhones, Charles Dickens' work emphasizes the value of charity and empathy toward one another. And in the interpretation by Samuel Finzi and Herbert Knaup, the narrative takes on an incredible liveliness, despite its moral undertones. Together with the stage music, the two actors succeed in bringing out the typical, quirky British humor in a touching way.

A wonderful Advent evening that gets the audience in the mood for the approaching Christmas season!