Mario and the Magician - Badische Landesbühne

A theatrical adaptation of Thomas Mann's novella

Italy in the 1920s: a family goes on holiday, but instead of relaxation, the narrator and his relatives encounter nationalism and discrimination everywhere. For the sake of the children, they stay - and visit the magician Cipolla, who promises entertainment.

Cipolla proves to be a brilliant hypnotist who gradually robs his audience of free will. The family watches with fascination and growing horror as the performance unfolds - until the charged atmosphere erupts into a terrible climax.

Thomas Mann's 1929 novella is a psychological portrait of a society seduced by fascism, surrendering responsibility, reason, and morality in the process.