Ein Volksbürger (“A people’s citizen”)

A political tragedy in the House of the Federal Press Conference (“Haus der Bundespressekonferenz”) by Nico and the Navigators.

The play Ein Volksbürger shows the rise of a populist who is elected prime minister of a fictitious German federal state and its ensuing threat to democracy. It premieres on 27 September at the Haus der Bundespressekonferenz (Federal Press Conference). To mark the 75th anniversary of the founding of this association of Berlin journalists, the house opens its doors for a theatre play for the very first time.

Ein Volksbürger comes to audiences in 2024, in an election year that has already witnessed a shift to the right within the European Union, with predictions of dramatic gains for the right parties in Brandenburg, Saxony and Thuringia state elections. Against this backdrop, the play’s experimental design wields enormous political explosiveness.

Directed by Nicola Hümpel, the production’s main character is portrayed by Fabian Hinrichs as a charismatic seducer who exploits his charm and intelligence to undermine the political system, and whose dangerous allure forces his opponents to take drastic measures. He challenges the federal government to the point of escalation. The political shooting star exercises his anti-democratic self-empowerment by legal means, provoking drastic countermeasures and culminating in a dramatic showdown in the ‘federal compulsion’.

The production will be shown online on ARTE and live broadcasted to Babylon Berlin, the Münchner Kammerspiele and the Badisches Staatstheater Karlsruhe / Kinemathek.

Genre Theatre play
Duration 90
Production Company EuroArts, ZDF, arte
Stage Director Nicola Hümpel
TV Director Andreas Morell
Main Actor Fabian Hinrichs
Production Company A production by Nico and the Navigators, funded by the Berlin Senate Department for Culture and Social Cohesion and the Capital Cultural Fund. In cooperation with the Bundespressekonferenz e.V., the Münchner Kammerspiele and the Badisches Staatstheater Karlsruhe.
Recording location Haus der Bundespressekonferenz Berlin
Recording date 28 September 2024
Original Text Based on the essay "Ein Volkskanzler" ('A people's chancellor') by Maximilian Steinbeis