UFFRUR! … on the road

UFFRUR! … on the road is a large-scale, mobile theatre and music spectacle commissioned by the Landesmuseum Württemberg to mark 500 years since the German Peasants’ War.

Touring 16 locations across southwest Germany, the project brought the events of 1525 into the present through an immersive, contemporary festival format

The events of the Peasants’ War of 1524 and 1525 spread like wildfire – more and more groups and towns joined the uprising, from the Lake Constance region through Upper Swabia, the Black Forest, the Neckar Valley, Hohenlohe, and Tauber Franconia to other parts of the German-speaking world. Armed “peasant mobs” marched to castles and monasteries, besieging and attacking them. Unrest reigned everywhere – until the uprising was put down by troops of the “Swabian League.”

Adventure world in fairground character

From May to October 2025, the history of the Peasants’ War came alive in a modern, exciting, entertaining, and a multi-sensory theater and music spectacle UFFRUR! … on the road.

The open-air experience combined performative, musical, installation-based, and multimedia elements to create a vibrant, fair-like world. Visitors were invited to move freely through the space, which was divided into contrasting social realms reflecting wealth and poverty. Interactive play stations, from punch bags with peasant faces, or a perfume journey of 16th century smells, to protest signs to making tears, picnic areas, food and drink stalls, information zones, and explicit puppet shows encouraged active participation and engagement across all generations all under the creative direction of Martin Butler.

At the core of each event is was a contemporay music-theatre performance written in collaboration with Carolyn Amann tells the story of the Peasants’ War as an modern emotional journey. Guided by a Narr (the Fool) as master of ceremonies, the narrative unfolds through storytelling and live music, revealing the hopes, conflicts, injustices, resistance, and ultimate suppression of the uprising. While entertainment is the entry point, the work never loses sight of the historical gravity of the events and draws subtle parallels to contemporary social inequalities.

And now the stage is set!

Set against this backdrop, the play tells the story of the Peasants’ War and the motives of the people of that time. The Fool acts as master of ceremonies and tour guide. In an emotional journey through time with gripping texts and rousing songs, the audience is transported into the unjust world of the 16th century – experiencing firsthand the tensions and horrors of the Peasants’ War, but also the hope and enthusiasm of the resistance.

The local events of the uprising are not ignored: What happened in Bretten, Laupheim, or Böblingen in 1525? What drove people to the great “uprising” – and what would have happened if the largest uprising of that time had not been bloodily suppressed? The play asks the public to reflection and discuss these questions and their relevance today.

Regional musicians and performers play a central role, activating the space through open-stage concerts, folk music, choirs, dance, and youth ensembles. These local contributions transform each stop into a community-rooted festival, blending historical reflection with convivial gathering.

Rather than a traditional historical reenactment, UFFRUR! … on the road offers a playful yet poignant interpretation of history approached with Butler’s trademark of humour, warmth, and emotional depth. With a wink in one eye and a hint of a tear in the other, the project makes the injustices of the early 16th century tangible, accessible, and unexpectedly relevant for contemporary audiences.

TOUR

Stuttgart | 28 & 30 April 2025

Weingarten | 10th May 2025

Heilbronn | 17th May 2025

Böblingen | 18th May 2025

Bretten | 24th May 2025

Lauda-Königshofen | 1st June 2025

Messkirch | 15th June 2025

Rothenburg ob der Tauber | 28th June 2025

Weinsberg | 29th June 2025

Memmingen | 11th July 2025

Kirchheim unter Teck | 13th July 2025

Neuenstein | 19th July 2025

Jagsthausen | 27th July 2025

Sulz am Neckar – Glatt Castle | 2nd August 2025

Laupheim | 13th September 2025

Maulbronn | 12th October 2025

Director and Artistic Director: Martin Butler
Text: Carolyn Amann
Music: Benny Spähn
Design: Marcus Bendel
Production Manager: Daniel Knapp
Production and Tour Management: Kapuziner Kreativzentrum Ravensburg
Acting Ensemble: Jens Lamprecht (Fool), Elisabeth Schuller (Anne von Hochgeboren & Kaufmann), Oliver Walter (Pflüger), Véronique Weber-Karpinski (Anna Bauer & Stubborn), Sascha Wolf (Outlaw & Peasant Preacher)
Assistant Director & Stage Manager: Alessandra Giuriola

Photos. Paul Gaertner