Basen Artystyczny Stage
Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart
Die Entführung aus dem Serail
The Abduction from the Seraglio, abridged version
Düsseldorf Puppet Theatre
Puppeteer | Anton Bachleitner
Puppeteer | Anna Zamolska
Duration | 60 min.
Düsseldorf Puppet Theatre – History
The “Düsseldorf Puppets” have earned an international reputation, admired far beyond Germany. In 1981, the young puppeteer Anton Bachleitner launched a new initiative in Düsseldorf, initially as artistic director and, from 1985, also as managing director. Since then, the Düsseldorf Puppet Theatre has developed into a true cultural gem, ranking among Germany’s leading puppet theatres. Its success stems from artistic openness, experimentation, strong ties to musical theatre, and collaborations with renowned figures from other art forms, including Michael Ende, Otfried Preußler, and Wilfried Hiller. The repertoire includes works by William Shakespeare, E.T.A. Hoffmann, Gustav Meyrink, W. A. Mozart, and Carl Orff, indicating a focus on adult audiences—a rarity in permanent puppet theatres.
In 2026, the Düsseldorf Puppet Theatre will celebrate its 70th anniversary. Since 1981, it has produced 22 full-length performances, which are not miniature adaptations of stage plays but fully exploit the unique possibilities of puppetry. Various techniques and types of puppets are employed, including marionettes, table puppets, flat puppets, masks, pantomime, and shadow theatre. Each production explores innovative uses of sound and light tailored to the stage action.
During performances, five actors stand on two movable bridges and manipulate marionettes suspended on 2.7-meter strings. In productions such as Die Entführung aus dem Serail, puppeteers also handle shorter-string puppets visibly on stage. Most figures, sets, and props are created in the theatre workshops under the direction of Anton Bachleitner, who is also a sculptor. With around 130 performances per year, the ensemble presents vibrant, contemporary puppet theatre, blending classical marionette techniques with modern storytelling to convey timeless narratives in fresh ways.
About the Production
Die Entführung aus dem Serail premiered at the Düsseldorf Puppet Theatre in 1999 as Mozart’s second puppet theatre production, following The Magic Flute (1988). The Magic Flute, long considered a classic of puppet theatre, has had over 1,000 performances in Düsseldorf and numerous international tours. Unlike The Magic Flute, The Abduction from the Seraglio uses short-string puppets, allowing exaggerated figures to follow the music more individually. The open stage design enables a flexible representation of the seraglio’s interior and exterior, with small scene adjustments depicting changing locations, such as the entrance gate from outside and inside.
Synopsis
Spanish nobleman Belmonte seeks to rescue his beloved Konstanze and her attendants, sold to Pasha Selim by pirates. Disguised as an architect, he gains access to the Pasha’s rural residence, aided by his clever servant Pedrillo and the resourceful maid Konstanze, Blondchen. Despite meticulous planning, their efforts are jeopardized by the strict palace guard Osmin, whose watchful eyes see all. Ultimately, Pasha Selim teaches the Europeans a lesson in true humanism and frees them.
Anna Zamolska (b. 1986, Düsseldorf) studied translation of English and French literature at Heinrich Heine University. She specialized in children’s and youth literature and, from the start, collaborated as a literary scholar. In 2015, after completing her studies, she joined the Düsseldorf Puppet Theatre full-time. Anna performs nightly on stage, works in theatre administration, contributes to dramaturgy, and directs productions. She has mastered various puppetry techniques, including table puppets, masks, and shadow play, and also performs pantomime.
Anton Bachleitner (b. 1956, Bad Tölz) discovered puppet theatre as a child and trained under Oskar Paul, learning both puppetry and puppet construction. While at boarding school in St. Blasien, he founded a student marionette theatre, staging five successful plays that won festival awards. After training as a master carpenter in Garmisch-Partenkirchen, he applied these skills to set design. In 1981, at age 24, he became artistic director of Rheinisches Marionettentheater Zangerle, renaming it in 1985 to Düsseldorfer Marionetten-Theater, producing 22 full-length productions under his design, sculpture, and scenography. Over 45 years, Bachleitner has focused on world literary classics, youth literature, film history milestones, and contemporary musical theatre, establishing his theatre as a prestigious puppet company mainly for adult audiences.