Bad Luck, Marie!

Does being helpful make us happy? Once upon a time, there were two sisters named Mary and Marie, as different as chalk and cheese: Mary is loving and helpful, while Marie is spiteful and egoistic. Because Marie always wants to buy more and more things, the family needs money, and Mary is desperate to help. How fortunate, then, that the company Holle(“Hell”) happens to be looking for staff…

As fairy tales are passed down from generation to generation, they change just a little with every retelling. The origins of Pech, Marie! are easily recognisable: namely, the fairy tale Frau Holle by Jacob and Wilhelm Grimm. But what does this story tell us about our behaviour in an age of consumerism and social media addiction, and what do “good luck” and “bad luck” mean to us today? In his new opera for Dresden, Jens Joneleit examines an old fairy-tale through a contemporary lens. And what is the result? – fun for the whole family! With Schneewitte, he already updated a classic fairy tale into the modern musical format with humour and thrills. Now, with Pech, Marie!, another tale for young and old alike arrives on the stage of Semper Zwei.