IMAGINE

With “IMAGINE,” the Schauspiel Köln brings a visually striking theatrical evening by Alexander Kerlin, Kay Voges, and the ensemble to the stage of the Schauspielhaus. The starting point is a seemingly simple idea: What if the world were a village and peace reigned there? But as night falls over this place, the idyll begins to shift. A shadow crosses the village square, a mysterious package appears, a strange song rings out in the sky, and suddenly the question arises: Is it an angel, a drone, or a deadly missile approaching?

The result is a play that straddles the line between utopia and threat, between childlike imagination and the major conflicts of our time. “IMAGINE” explores how peace can be conceived when fear, violence, and uncertainty have long since become part of our visual world. Kay Voges’s production incorporates music, video art, choreography, and AI, transforming theater into a multi-layered, sensory experience.