A play for children ages 5 and up, based on the fairy tale by Gerdt von Bassewitz; adapted for the stage by Fanny Schmidt and Thomas Klischke
For 111 years, the story of the five-legged May beetle, Mr. Sumsemann, has been delighting generations
To get his sixth little leg back from the Moon Man, Mr. Sumsemann needs the help of two children who treat nature with respect. In this adaptation by Theater Schloss Maßbach, we experience this classic as a family story. Six-year-old Peter loves animals and wants to make them all his friends. His sister Anna knows everything there is to know—from books and the internet—about plants, flowers, and seeds. But in their parents’ inventor’s lab, the focus is on generating electricity from plants or creating the first sentient robot—not on the needs of four-legged or multi-legged creatures. When Peter and Anna drag a five-legged cockchafer into their parents’ workshop, the adults’ curiosity is piqued. Did the creature get caught in a lab machine, is it a biological miracle, or is there an ancient injustice behind its five legs? Before they know it, the family finds itself on an absurdly adventurous journey to the moon.
“I see it as one of my tasks—especially in children’s theater—to draw contemporary parallels from old fairy-tale material. A five-legged beetle. An adventurous journey across the Milky Way—complete with a drive-in stop at Santa’s—and a grand showdown on the moon. Lots of fantasy. Lots of fairy tale. Lots of blockbuster. Yet this story begins with empathy for a tiny creature full of life. Whether it’s a beetle, a duckling, or a kitten—every child immediately feels affection for animals. And it is this tiny spark in children’s hearts that ‘Peterchen’s Trip to the Moon’ is all about.” Thomas Klischke
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