Shakespeare in the Park: Fairies and Ghosts

Am I dreaming, or is this reality? Has a being from another world teased me, or are my deepest wishes and fears speaking to me? Since 2013, Shakespeare’s lovers and fools have been drawn to the park of Leopoldskron Palace. Following the inaugural “Lovers & Fools,” the seasons brought “Queens & Kings” and then “Love Songs.” More recently, “Elves & Errors” and “Golden Lads & Girls” have breathed mysterious life into the grounds—now it’s time for the sixth chapter: “Fairies & Phantoms.”

William Shakespeare is the master of twists and turns. Here, characters from A Midsummer Night’s Dream, Julius Caesar, and Romeo and Juliet meet. The audience follows closely over uneven paths alongside the mischievous little troll Puck and the ghosts of Edward, Henry VI, Buckingham, and the princes. This play, penned by Carl Philip von Maldeghem, who brought theatre back to Max Reinhardt’s Schlosspark over a decade ago, intertwines these legendary figures with fresh storytelling.

John Webster, the bloodthirsty soul consumed by envy and jealousy, believes himself a rival to the great Bard from Stratford-upon-Avon. Before the engagement party of Theseus and Hippolyta even begins, he crashes the scene. Even before Julia and Romeo fall in love at first sight, he and the witch Sylvie are brewing a bloody concoction. Brutus feels his blood run cold—cursed by evil deeds, he confronts his own dark angel.
Meanwhile, Puck dances with mischievous joy, delighting in disrupting the rehearsal of a band of craftsmen who, devoted to truth and beauty, practice the comedy of Pyramus and Thisbe among the forest’s swords, prologues, lions, moonlight, thorn bushes, lanterns, walls, and chinks.

Unexpectedly, John Webster manages to present the finale of his own play The Duchess of Malfi—a masterpiece of English drama from Shakespeare’s era. Its bloody tale of twins, secret children, inheritance greed, murder plots, werewolf fantasies, and incest culminates in horrifying combat. At the same time, Pucelle, better known as Joan of Arc, calls upon “magic spells and amulets,” offering “body and soul and all” to defend France’s glory against the English invaders.

The shadows of the soul close in on Richard III—the ghosts of his victims sing him a chilling nocturne: “Despair and die!” His “shivering bones break out in cold sweat,” and he discovers something he never thought he had: his conscience.
With a tone of reconciliation, the finale approaches as Oberon and Titania, along with Puck, usher out the fairies and ghosts: “To bed, dear lovers!”

Additional information – Schloss Leopoldskron: 

-When purchasing tickets, you may also buy a voucher for a picnic basket (limited availability), redeemable on site. The baskets are prepared by the Schloss Leopoldskron Hotel.
-Picnic baskets can be picked up one hour before the performance begins.
-Picnic baskets are also available at the evening box office of Schloss Leopoldskron, subject to availability (payment cashless only). Contents are adapted for children.
-Vegetarian and vegan picnic baskets are available upon request and must be pre-ordered.
-Bringing the picnic baskets to the performance is allowed.
-Consumption of outside food and drinks is not permitted.
-Due to limited parking, we recommend using public transportation.
-We advise sturdy footwear, as paths through the park are unpaved.

Should weather-related changes occur, these will be announced on our website at least three hours before the performance.

Picnic basket for adults:
Schlossfrizzante, water, ciabatta, Mediterranean vegetables with baby mozzarella and basil pesto, prosciutto with olives and Parmesan shavings, vanilla quark cream with berries
Picnic basket for children:
apple juice, one savory pastry with ham, one savory pastry with cheese, vanilla quark cream with berries, one apple

Duration: 1 h 30 min