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Frankenstein, or Why Is There a Piece Missing from the Thick Tower?

Scene photo from »Frankenstein«: Hannah Hupfauer stands in the middle of the tower walls, raises her hands and looks up. In the background, Nele Christoph, Simon Mazouri, Flo Sohn and Florian Mania are standing and looking at her. White garden chairs and a garden table are arranged along the tower wall. A clothesline hangs over the wall, with abstract body parts hanging from it. A wooded hill and the top of a church tower can be seen in the background. — Nele Christoph, Simon Mazouri, Flo Sohn, Florian Mania, Hannah Hupfauer; Photo: Susanne Reichardt

Scene photo from »Frankenstein«: A medium close-up shows Flo Sohn in a black jacket and Florian Mania in a white blouse with a large bow. They are standing face to face. Flo raises a hand and speaks to Florian, who smiles back. In the background, Nele Christoph stands in a white dress and turns up her nose. — Flo Sohn, Nele Christoph, Florian Mania; Photo: Susanne Reichardt

Scene photo from »Frankenstein«: Flo Sohn stands behind a wall, flinging dirt into the air with a shovel. He is wearing black pants, a black coat and a white shirt. A clothesline with what appears to be body parts hangs above him. Behind him, the view opens up over the Neckar Valley. — Flo Sohn; Photo: Susanne Reichardt

Scene photo from »Frankenstein«: Flo Sohn and Nele Christoph are in the foreground, holding hands and looking to the sides. In the background, Hannah Hupfauer is standing on the tower wall, holding onto a pole. She is wearing a black top and a short skirt with a yellow-and-white pattern. — Flo Sohn, Nele Christoph, Hannah Hupfauer; Photo: Susanne Reichardt

Scene photo from »Frankenstein«: In the foreground, Flo Sohn stands on a white piece of fabric that partially covers the stage. To his right and left, two white garden chairs are standing and lying on the ground. In the background, Simon Mazouri stands on the tower wall. He is wearing a costume sewn together from various pieces of clothing in black, white and pink. — Simon Mazouri, Flo Sohn; Photo: Susanne Reichardt

Scene photo from »Frankenstein«: In the centre of the frame stands Simon Mazouri as Frankenstein’s monster. He is looking at Flo Sohn, who is standing with his back to the camera at the left edge of the frame. In the background, a garden table with a white lace tablecloth and chairs can be seen. Hannah Hupfauer is sitting on the tower wall in the back right. — Flo Sohn, Simon Mazouri; Photo: Susanne Reichardt

Scene photo from »Frankenstein«: Simon Mazouri jumps off the tower wall with his arms outstretched, heading toward the camera. To his left is a stone gate, the entrance to which is covered with a cloth. Below him are large stones and a white garden chair. The sky is bathed in the colours of the sunset. — Simon Mazouri; Photo: Susanne Reichardt

Scene photo from »Frankenstein«: Hannah Hupfauer and Nele Christoph are standing on a stone platform on the left. They are wearing grey raincoats and looking down. Flo Sohn is kneeling there, looking up at them. He is wrapped in a white piece of fabric. In the background are a garden table and chairs, as well as a seated figure draped in white. The sun has just set in the sky. — Hannah Hupfauer, Nele Christoph, Flo Sohn; Photo: Susanne Reichardt

Originally by Mary Shelley, adapted by Philipp Löhle

Heidelberger Schlossfestspiele

Heidelberger Schlossfestspiele

Theatre
Dicker Turm

Victor Frankenstein is fascinated by natural sciences and technology. He intends to uncover the last secrets of creation with a medical experiment. Using different parts of corpses, he sows together an artificial creature and brings it to life. Shocked by the result, he banishes it and flees. The creature whose rough appearance doesn't correspond to its vulnerability tries to find its way in an alien and hostile world where it keeps experiencing exclusion and hate. Feeling bitter, the creature swears revenge and starts looking for its creator. When the two meet and Frankenstein realises that he cannot kill the creature, they make a gruesome pact.

Mary Shelley’s story describes the search for friendship and love in a world that keeps refusing you. Victor Frankenstein and his creature re-determine who is the monster and who is human.

Please note that late entry to the Dicker Turm is not possible.

Frankenstein, or Why Is There a Piece Missing from the Thick Tower?

Heidelberger Schlossfestspiele

Theatre

20:30 → 22:00 h

Dicker Turm

Sold out (last-minute tickets may be available at the box office)

Originally by Mary Shelley, adapted by Philipp Löhle

Frankenstein, or Why Is There a Piece Missing from the Thick Tower?

Heidelberger Schlossfestspiele

Theatre

20:30 → 22:00 h

Dicker Turm

Sold out (last-minute tickets may be available at the box office)

Originally by Mary Shelley, adapted by Philipp Löhle

Frankenstein, or Why Is There a Piece Missing from the Thick Tower?

Heidelberger Schlossfestspiele

Theatre

20:30 → 22:00 h

Dicker Turm

Sold out (last-minute tickets may be available at the box office)

Originally by Mary Shelley, adapted by Philipp Löhle

Frankenstein, or Why Is There a Piece Missing from the Thick Tower?

Heidelberger Schlossfestspiele

Theatre

20:30 → 22:00 h

Dicker Turm

Sold out (last-minute tickets may be available at the box office)

Originally by Mary Shelley, adapted by Philipp Löhle

Frankenstein, or Why Is There a Piece Missing from the Thick Tower?

Heidelberger Schlossfestspiele

Theatre

20:30 → 22:00 h

Dicker Turm

Originally by Mary Shelley, adapted by Philipp Löhle

Frankenstein, or Why Is There a Piece Missing from the Thick Tower?

Heidelberger Schlossfestspiele

Theatre

20:30 → 22:00 h

Dicker Turm

last performance!

Sold out (last-minute tickets may be available at the box office)

Originally by Mary Shelley, adapted by Philipp Löhle

Direction

Yvonne Kespohl

Stage and Costumes

Lydia Huller

Lighting Design

Andreas Rehfeld

Dramaturgy

Jana Gmelin

Lord Byron / Victor Frankenstein

Flo Sohn

Leibarzt Polidori/ Die Kreatur / Justine

Simon Mazouri

Claire / Elisabeth / Irin

Nele Christoph

Mary Shelley / Prof. Waldmann / Ire

Hannah Hupfauer

Percy Shelley / Henry / Ernst

Florian Mania

Assistant Director / Stage Manager

Corinna Reichle

Assistant Stage Design

Judith Grätzer

Costume Assistant

Hannah Schäfer

Direction Hospitanz

Alisha Jakobi

The production of the decorative parts is carried out in the workshops of the Theater und Orchester Heidelberg.

A complete list of all employees of the technical departments involved can be found here.

Eine »leichte, kluge Komödie mit sehr hohem Spielniveau« habe das Theater auf die Bühne des Dicken Turms gestellt – so Andreas Falentin in Die deutsche Bühne (online, 15. Juni 2026). Autor Philipp Löhle haben den Stoff »gestrafft und behutsam modernisiert« und mit Regisseurin Yvonne Kespohl die komischen Anteile des Stoffs »konsequent herausgearbeitet«. Im Vordergrund stehe das »junge, sehr engagierte Ensemble«, dem der Erzählton »überraschend leicht« gelinge.

Yvonne Kespohls Inszenierung im Dicken Turm scheue »lohnenderweise weder Slapstick noch Kalauer«, gleichwohl verbunden mit »gedanklicher Tiefe«; das Tempo sei »(überwiegend) erfrischend hoch«, zudem werde »lustvoll gespielt«, freut sich Martin Vögele im Mannheimer Morgen (17. Juni 2026). »Wo, wie hier, Albernheit und Abgründigkeit aneinander scheuern, da entsteht Reibung, aber das geht sich beim Heidelberger ›Frankenstein‹ gut und vor allem auf äußerst kurzweilige Weise aus«, so das Fazit des Rezensenten.

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