Die Optimistinnen

Murat Yeginer - DIE OPTIMISTINNEN - A musical play based on the novel by Gün Tank

With "Istanbul", director Murat Yeginer and his ensemble broke records at the Altes Schauspielhaus! Now the story of the guest workers continues - told from the perspective of strong women.

At the heart of the piece are the women who came to Germany in the 1970s from Turkey, Spain, Italy, Greece, Yugoslavia, Morocco and Tunisia to work.

One of them is 22-year-old Nour from Istanbul - young, driven and full of hope. But the customs of the small German village where she now lives are a far cry from the big city she knows. The dormitory accommodation leaves much to be desired, the factory working conditions are questionable, and the pay is simply not fair.

When Nour learns about a women's strike in the 1920s, she and her friends begin fighting for workers' rights! "With wonderful lightness and humour, Gün Tank tells the story of these women - their struggles for justice and their irrepressible love of life," wrote Bayerischer Rundfunk.

The novel now comes to the Altes Schauspielhaus stage in its own theatrical adaptation, with a German-Turkish ensemble and plenty of live music!

Performances 12 June to 18 July 2026

Cast: Ursula Berlinghof, Yasemin Cec, Selda Falke, Sorina Kiefer, Frederik Leberle, Murat Yeginer and others.
Band: Murat Bay, Apostolos Naumis, Mert Eylem Sezgin and others.
Direction: Murat Yeginer
Musical direction: N.N.
Set and costumes: Beate Zoff
Choreography: Sorina Kiefer
Dramaturgy: Susanne Schmitt