Borkman at the ETA Hoffmann Theater: Ibsen's family drama reignited
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When family ties turn into a power struggle: Borkman at the ETA Hoffmann Theater
On Sunday, September 27, 2026, the ETA Hoffmann Theater Bamberg transforms into a mental resonance space for Henrik Ibsen's precise social drama. In the modern adaptation of Borkman, two women take center stage, whose shared past is marked by injuries, dependencies, and competing visions for the future.
A family conflict with the force of a financial crash
Gerhild Borkman and Ella Rentheim meet again after years. One is connected to the former bank director John Gabriel Borkman, whose speculations brought a family to ruin. The other benefited from that very collapse as an entrepreneur. Between them stands Edward, Gerhild's son, whom both sisters have raised alternately.
What initially appears as a dispute over Edward's life path develops into a ruthless reckoning with possession, guilt, and emotional control. Ibsen's dramaturgy reveals layer by layer how closely private relationships and social power are intertwined.
Ibsen's modern stage world
Henrik Ibsen's drama from the late 19th century unfolds its potential even in the present. Annette Pullen's staging looks at the material from a perspective that makes Gerhild Borkman and Ella Rentheim visible as independent, contradictory, and powerful figures. Their conversations carry the tension of a chamber play, while behind each sentence lies a repressed chapter of life.
The direction engages with the text through precise character guidance and concentrated dramaturgy. The set and costumes designed by Iris Kraft create the visual framework for a world where social glamour and inner decay lie directly beside each other. The music by Avi Meyer adds its own accents and expands the theatrical atmosphere with an additional emotional layer.
Acting between vulnerability and control
With Marianna Linden and Susanne Wolff, two brilliant guests are at the forefront of the performance. Their characters do not merely encounter each other: They measure one another, test old claims, and struggle for the interpretation of a shared history. Leyla Bischoff, Avi Meyer, and Luke Venatier complete the ensemble and intensify the web of relationships.
Particularly intriguing is the character Fanny Wilton, an aspiring actress who disrupts the fragile balance of what is said and unsaid. Her presence brings movement to a family that has settled into linguistic fortifications over the years.
A stage experience for contemporary questions
Borkman tells of economic failure, but also of emotional dispossession, self-assertion, and the question of who a life actually belongs to. The play connects classical dramatic art with a modern view of female agency and familial dependencies.
The performance begins on September 27, 2026, at 6:00 PM at the ETA Hoffmann Theater, E.T.A.-Hoffmann-Platz 1 in Bamberg. Visitors can expect a concentrated performance with an intense theatrical atmosphere, precise direction, and an ensemble that makes Ibsen's conflict material immediately tangible.
Conclusion: An evening between reckoning and new beginnings
This production immerses the audience in a family whose past is not past. Those seeking great acting, psychologically sharply drawn characters, and a complex dramatic engagement with power and guilt will experience a theater evening of lasting intensity with Borkman. Secure your tickets and experience Henrik Ibsen's drama live in Bamberg.
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