Overview

• Opening night ran about eight hours and finished after midnight, with many audience members drifting out as others stayed to applaud.
• The staging deploys extreme visuals, including a giant penis above the set, simulated masturbation, a flung tampon, and painting with blood.
• The production filters Ibsen through 1970s–80s references and current politics, likening its antihero to Boris Johnson, Donald Trump and the horror character Chucky while touching on police violence, war, abuse and the pandemic.
• Creators signal a marathon concept with lines in the show pointing to roughly 48 hours total across installments, with further dates set for Sept. 27 and 29 and Oct. 1, 3 and 5.
• Audience members could bring drinks and even pizza to endure the length, reactions ranged from exasperated to enthusiastic, and Matthias Lilienthal is slated to take the interim post next year after Vinge and Müller declined.