Strangely enough, the spelling of the title role in German (Jolanthe) reminds the same one as the otherwise unrelated Gilbert & Sullivan Operetta „Iolanthe“, a fact that here and there may cause some confusion.

Both pieces were not originally dramaturgically integrated into one another but were performed separately. Miss de Beer’s idea of fusing both pieces to immediately prolong/complete the „plot“ of Iolanta appealed to me. The results but of „Iolanta and the Nutcracker“ („Jolanthe und der Nussknacker) were somehow disappointing and to use an expression that comes automatically in German to my mind, I can only point to the fact that the whole concept is „Einfach gestrickt“ (editor’s note: simply knitted).

For personal reasons, I could not attend the première – which was held at 4:30 pm, a matinée time for children. But is this a piece for children? Not really. For adults? Perhaps also not. All this indicates a not discussed conception problem. And the use of dolls on stage does not justify the „label“ of a performance that is supposedly dedicated to children…