Einer flog über das Kuckucksnest

We probably never would have met outside of here. And if we did, we would have walked past each other and considered ourselves normal – whatever that means. In here, we probably don’t see it that way. Here – that’s the cuckoo’s nest, an enclosed world completely under the control of its ruler, the tyrant head nurse. This is where we’re stuck together – just a big pile of tired people. Every day’s the same: Pills, food, therapy, and pills again.

You feel confused and you don’t even try to fight it anymore. You don’t say a thing, so nobody cares about the fog you’re in. Then this new guy McMurphy comes along and starts to question the power structure. “Who’s the crazy one here?” he yells over and over again in the silent room. The tyrant pulls out the needle, and at that moment you understand that this isn’t going to end well.

“One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest” is the first stage production to be directed by Leander Haußmann at the RambaZamba Theater. Haußmann has worked, among other places, at the Thalia Theater in Hamburg and the Burgtheater in Vienna, as well as at the Berliner Ensemble and the Volksbühne am Rosa-Luxemburg-Platz in Berlin. Between 1995 and 2000, Leander Haußmann served as the artistic director of Schauspielhaus Bochum. His feature film “Leander Haußmanns Stasikomödie” was released this year. The film marks the final installment (after “Sonnenallee” from 2000 and “NVA” from 2005) of Haußmann’s “Stasi Trilogy,” which focuses on the former East Germany.

Please note that this production of “One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest” uses strobe lights.

Special thanks to Vintage Revivals, Jugendkulturzentrum Königstadt, and Zum Schusterjungen for helping out with the film shooting.

“Leander Haußmann can pick and choose his actors, which is why he chose the best he could get for his stage production of Kesey’s novel.”  Peter Laudenbach, SZ

“The material, the directing, the actors – everything works perfectly and makes for a great evening in the Kulturbrauerei.” Patrick Wildermann, Tagesspiegel

“In just a little under two hours you’ll be treated to punchlines and slapstick-like scenes – courtesy of an ensemble that’s absolutely in top form. It’s a spectacular performance that simply thrills the audience.” Gunnar Decker, nd

“It’s almost like you’re watching the actors transform themselves into the characters before your eyes. They overcome the historical distance to the original work as if it were nothing, but their performance also stands out on its own as compared to the classic film: The actors are totally relaxed and uninhibited and they deliver a profound performance that comes across as a tribute to the movie rather than an exercise in blind deconstruction. It’s fantastic!” Christine Wahl, nachtkritik.de