Ardeck-Burgfestspiele
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| Founded | 1985 |
|---|---|
| Legal form | Registered association (eingetragener Verein) |
| Member of | Landesverband Amateurtheater Rheinland-Pfalz |
| Location | |
| Headquarters | Holzheim |
| Country | Germany |
|
| |
| Links | |
| Website | ardeck-burgfestspiele.de |
Ardeck-Burgfestspiele e. V. (also written Ardeck Burgfestspiele) is an amateur theatre association in Holzheim in the Rhein-Lahn-Kreis, Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany, which stages open-air productions in front of the ruins of Burg Ardeck above the Aar valley.[1] Its festival takes place every second year, in odd-numbered years.[2][3]
History
The ruined castle of Ardeck, a landmark of Holzheim, was given to the municipality in 1986. The idea of staging festival plays in front of its walls arose from the wish to draw public attention to the castle, and the association was founded in 1985 on the initiative of the then local mayor and the author Horst Helfrich.[2] The first production, Helfrich's Graf Uhland, premiered on 29 August 1986 on a raised natural stage in front of the castle; according to the association, 70 actors and extras took part in eleven performances. A second Helfrich play followed in 1987. Because of the effort involved in rehearsals, stage building, planning and catering, the association then decided to play only every second year, a rhythm it has kept since.[2][4]
The 2021 festival was cancelled because of the COVID-19 pandemic.[5] After a break of four years the group returned in 2023 with Carl Zuckmayer's Der fröhliche Weinberg.[6] In 2025 it staged Don Camillo und Peppone.[7]
Repertoire
During its first years the group mainly performed comedies and historical plays by Horst Helfrich, several of them set in Holzheim or at Burg Ardeck. Later seasons combined classics of the German-language comic stage, such as Johann Nestroy's Einen Jux will er sich machen and plays by Carl Zuckmayer, with adaptations and new historical plays written for the castle setting.[8] Each festival usually consists of four evening performances on two weekends in late August.[9][10]
| Year | Title | Author | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1986 | Graf Uhland | Horst Helfrich | World premiere, 29 August 1986[4] |
| 1987 | Zum Teufel mit den Geistern | Horst Helfrich | |
| 1989 | Jasper und Jolinde oder Der Schlangenkuss | Horst Helfrich | |
| 1991 | Auch Galgenvögel können lügen | ||
| 1993 | Die Diamanten der Dora Dinkel | Horst Helfrich | |
| 1995 | Die Mitternachtsbraut | ||
| 1997 | Das Lorche und der Heinerich | ||
| 1999 | Die Altweibermühle | ||
| 2001 | Das Kaffeehaus | ||
| 2003 | Die lustigen Vagabunden | Gustav Raeder | |
| 2003 | Der Teufel mit den drei goldenen Haaren | Marc Gruppe, after the Brothers Grimm | Fairy-tale play; see The Devil with the Three Golden Hairs |
| 2005 | Im Himmel kommt doch alles wieder zusammen | Set at Burg Ardeck around 1590[12] | |
| 2007 | Einen Jux will er sich machen | Johann Nestroy | |
| 2009 | Blumen, Bräute und Banditen | Ulrich G. Engelmann | |
| 2011 | Alter schützt vor Torheit nicht | after Horst Helfrich's Alles Gute aus Schanghai | Own adaptation |
| 2013 | Jedem schlägt die Stunde | after Kurt Wilhelm and Franz von Kobell | New stage adaptation of Der Brandner Kaspar und das ewig Leben, set in Holzheim |
| 2015 | Macheath – zwischen Petticoat und Galgenstrick | Ingo Sax, after John Gay | Farce based on The Beggar's Opera[13] |
| 2017 | Die Ahnungslosen der Burg Ardeck | Stefan Toennes | Historical play set at Burg Ardeck in 1467[10] |
| 2019 | Katharina Knie | Carl Zuckmayer | [9] |
| 2023 | Der fröhliche Weinberg | Carl Zuckmayer | [6] |
| 2025 | Don Camillo und Peppone | after Giovannino Guareschi | See Don Camillo and Peppone[7] |
Venue
The group performs on an uncovered open-air stage in front of the castle ruin of Ardeck on the edge of Holzheim; the raised stage and the audience seating are not roofed.[2][14] The ruin was first mentioned in 1395 as a castle of the County of Diez and has been uninhabited since the 18th century.[1]
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 Die Burg, Ardeck Burgfestspiele e. V., retrieved 26 October 2026. Archived on 15 May 2026.
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 Der Verein, Ardeck Burgfestspiele e. V., retrieved 26 October 2026. Archived on 27 October 2026.
- ↑ Burg Ardeck, GPS Wanderatlas, retrieved 26 October 2026. Archived on 27 October 2026.
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 Graf Uhland, Ardeck Burgfestspiele e. V., retrieved 26 October 2026. Archived on 15 May 2026.
- ↑ Festspiele 2021, Ardeck Burgfestspiele e. V., 23 February 2021, retrieved 26 October 2026. Archived on 13 July 2026.
- ↑ 6.0 6.1 Wir sind wieder da! Die Ardeck Burgfestspiele kommen 2023 zurück auf die Bühne!, Ardeck Burgfestspiele e. V., 7 February 2023, retrieved 26 October 2026. Archived on 27 October 2026.
- ↑ 7.0 7.1 Aufführungen 2025 – Don Camillo und Peppone, Ardeck Burgfestspiele e. V., 2 May 2025, retrieved 26 October 2026. Archived on 27 October 2026.
- ↑ 8.0 8.1 Bisherige Aufführungen, Ardeck Burgfestspiele e. V., retrieved 26 October 2026. Archived on 13 July 2026.
- ↑ 9.0 9.1 2019 – Katharina Knie – Ein Seiltänzerstück, Ardeck Burgfestspiele e. V., 1 May 2020, retrieved 26 October 2026. Archived on 27 October 2026.
- ↑ 10.0 10.1 2017 – Die Ahnungslosen der Burg Ardeck, Ardeck Burgfestspiele e. V., 7 August 2017, retrieved 26 October 2026. Archived on 27 October 2026.
- ↑ Bisherige Aufführungen (page 2), Ardeck Burgfestspiele e. V., retrieved 26 October 2026. Archived on 27 October 2026.
- ↑ 2005 – Im Himmel kommt doch alles wieder zusammen, Ardeck Burgfestspiele e. V., 7 August 2005, retrieved 26 October 2026. Archived on 15 May 2026.
- ↑ 2015 – MACHEATH, Ardeck Burgfestspiele e. V., 7 August 2015, retrieved 26 October 2026. Archived on 9 June 2026.
- ↑ FAQ, Ardeck Burgfestspiele e. V., retrieved 26 October 2026. Archived on 27 October 2026.