How long does the performance last?

The performance lasts about 75 minutes without intermission; an introduction begins at 19:15 at the same location.

Where does the performance take place?

At the Düsseldorf Schauspielhaus, Kleines Haus, Gustaf-Gründgens-Platz 1, 40211 Düsseldorf.

Is there information about accessibility?

Yes, the access is barrier-free; an elevator leads from the parking garage to Gustaf-Gründgens-Platz, wheelchair spaces are available; details in the theater's service area.

What are the ticket prices?

For this date, price tiers are listed; the regular starting price is around 35 euros, reduced tiers are available.

How to get there and parking?

Public transport to Düsseldorf main station, from there on foot to the theater; parking garages in direct vicinity, including the underground garage at Gustaf-Gründgens-Platz.

Is there a cloakroom?

Yes, the cloakroom is located in the ground-level entrance area of the Kleines Haus; the box office is opposite.

The Metamorphosis - D'haus Düsseldorf Performance 2026

Name: The Metamorphosis
Start: 2026-03-27T21:00:00+01:00
End: 2026-03-27T22:15:00+01:00
Location: Düsseldorfer Schauspielhaus – Kleines Haus

The Metamorphosis at D'haus: Kafka's Classic as Contemporary Theater

An evening about body, identity, and regimes of gaze: The Stadt:Kollektiv of the Düsseldorf Schauspielhaus brings Franz Kafka's story to the stage in a contemporary adaptation by Dorle Trachternach, Kamilė Gudmonaitė, and ensemble. The direction is led by Lithuanian theater maker Kamilė Gudmonaitė, whose production has been invited to the renowned Radikal jung festival 2025. The theater evening combines world literature with lived body stories into a precise, fast, and vivid stage experience.

Staging and Dramaturgy: Body Politics in the Spotlight

Without psychological detours, the direction focuses the dramaturgy on what the text triggers: the shift of perspective. Kafka's Metamorphosis becomes a choreography of gaze, a study of adaptation and resistance. The scenic tableaus rely on condensation rather than illustration; short, rhythmically set scenes create tension and clarity.

Set Design, Costume, Lighting: Precise Images Instead of Naturalistic Traps

The set design works with reduced objects and striking axes. Moving light fields cut through spaces where the bodies of the actors appear as graphic signs. Costumes mark states, not merely characters: fabrics rub, shimmer, repel. The theatrical atmosphere remains concentrated, the acoustics carry the voices dry and close to the audience.

Acting Art of Stadt:Kollektiv: Close, Direct, Unvarnished

The eight-member amateur ensemble of the citizen stage sharpens Kafka's prose into presence. No virtuosity for the sake of form, but perceivable breath, audible pulse. Thus arises a stage experience that dares closeness and reflects the audience's reaction immediately back into the play.

Context: Kafka Today – A Classic in the Open Laboratory

The production anchors Kafka's text in the present: questions about normative bodies, visibility and shame, familial attributions. The direction opens the canon without betraying it. The result: a concentrated, 75-minute evening that allows the narrative to breathe musically, choreographically and discursively. An introduction 45 minutes before the start deepens backgrounds and focal points of the production.

Voices of Fans

The reactions of theater lovers are clear: The Metamorphosis delights the audience.

Facebook: 'Great theme, clearly told – intense, smart, moving!'

Conclusion

What awaits the visitors? A precise, sensory theater experience between literary classic and contemporary diagnosis – with a strong ensemble, pointed direction, and dense images. An evening that leaves an impact and invites further reflection: experience live while the repertoire plays.