Singer

When the beach lies beneath the pavement, as it was often said in the past, it is not far to the sea. Gladis, the protagonist of this opera, follows the opposite direction, from the sea to the pavement. Gladis is an orca. And she wants to break what she breaks. Cruise ships, superyachts, that sort of thing. On her quest for revenge, she meets Lone, who promises her human form for 24 hours and demands one of her fins as a reward. On the pavement, she meets Abad and Ge, an urban guerrilla, schoolchildren on a museum visit to Stammheim. Gladis gets caught between the fronts and questions arise: Does the end justify the means? What remains when every truth is distorted? And if you can't fight violence peacefully, is militancy the last resort left to us all? But or because this is a fairy tale, the kiss of true love can free Gladis from everything in between.

EPSG:4326

Der Rote Wal

The Staatstheater Stuttgart

When the beach lies beneath the pavement, as the ‘68ers’ liked to say, it's not far to the sea. Gladis, the protagonist of this opera, follows the opposite direction, from the sea to the pavement. Gladis is an orca. And she wants to destroy what she destroys. Cruise ships, superyachts, that sort of thing. Not just in the sea, but also on land. And so she takes up an offer and sells one of her fins for 24 hours of human form. Der rote Wal (The Red Whale) is a fairy tale that approaches a Stuttgart material that is charged like a myth. A “German autumn fairy tale“ about the myth of the RAF, about the question of what resistance is allowed and also about what was and what is true.

The Red Whale

Stuttgart Opera

What would the LGBTQIA+ community be without its musical icons like Elton John and Freddie Mercury? For Cologne Pride, the WDR Funkhausorchester celebrates the anthems of the queer scene—from great classics to current musical milestones from Lady Gaga to Taylor Swift.

Soprano

Madina Frey

Events

Upcoming events

Dec 17, 2025 - Jan 22, 2026

The Red Whale · Staatsoper Stuttgart

3 - 4 Jul, 2026

The Sound of Pride · WDR Funkhausorchester

Past events

Jun 18 - Jul 22, 2025

Der Rote Wal · Staatsoper Stuttgart

Future and recently performed repertoire

Gladis in The Red Whale by Bhatti

Staatsoper Stuttgart

Gladys in The Red Whale by Bhatti

Staatsoper Stuttgart

About

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