Through a collage of puppet theater, live music, and the culinary arts, we explore the work of the great humorous poet Wilhelm Busch, drawing inspiration from his cartoons. His universe—and his caricatured characters—seem both strange and familiar. It was a “frivolous work with a corrupting influence on youth,” against which educators warned back in 1870. Yet many of his rhyming couplets have become common idioms. We dig up the past, let our imaginations run wild, and realize: We are all kin! A summer theater production centered around the rehearsal stage Schlachthausstrasse 15.

press reviews

The Spice Lies in the Wicked
Figurentheater Tübingen presented a Wilhelm Busch collage blending puppetry, live music, and the culinary arts.
By Jürgen Spieß, August 11, 2026, GEA

TÜBINGEN. Wilhelm Busch would likely have been delighted: pancakes are fried, *laddus* are kneaded, wooden spoons are repurposed as musical instruments, and—amidst the sounds of a tuba, flute, and accordion—all manner of human depravity is served up. With "schABERnack!", Figurentheater Tübingen has discovered a highly entertaining approach to the work of the great German satirist. For one hour, Busch’s grotesque universe—filled with malice, *Schadenfreude*, childlike high spirits, and the trials of family life—becomes the raw material for a stage collage that is as whimsical as it is imaginative.
Friederike Overweg, Karin Ersching, and Alexander Soehnle shift effortlessly between acting, puppetry, music, and a cooking show. While puppets are present, they are only one component of the performance. Far more significant is the sheer joy of transformation: Busch’s characters are plucked from their original stories, cast onto the stage, and set loose in a world where fantasy and reality, fairy tales and everyday life, become thoroughly intertwined.
A Surprising Life of Their Own
Widow Bolte and other figures from Busch’s cosmos appear, vanish, and develop a surprising life of their own. Their pranks evolve into small, grotesque scenes; Busch’s dark humor transforms into anarchic theater. Uncle Fritz, for instance, finds himself contending with giant, string-operated beetles while in bed at night. Somewhere in the mix, a "hatred soufflé" or a "recipe for an autobiography" comes into being.
Frank Soehnle’s production thrives on such absurd, inventive touches. It takes Busch’s malicious streaks not merely as historical source material, but explores their timeless core: the delight taken in another’s misfortune—*Schadenfreude*—along with petty acts of meanness and profound human frailties. All of this is presented with a wink, yet it is by no means superficial; for lurking behind the slapstick is the genuinely serious question of why, in fact, we find evil so entertaining.
Music plays a vital role—both on stage and during the opening sequence outdoors—with a tuba, clarinet, and accordion creating a versatile sonic landscape, augmented by the unconventional use of wooden cooking spoons as instruments. The musical interludes comment on the action, propel the narrative forward, and weave the individual episodes into a cohesive collage. In this way, Busch’s drawings and verses are transformed into a miniature theatrical world, teeming with whimsical characters, grotesque imagery, and dark humor. *schABERnack!* is no museum-piece look at Wilhelm Busch; rather, it is a bold, cheeky attempt to bring his anarchic spirit into the present day.
And perhaps this is the best way to encounter Busch: take a few cooks, a generous helping of *Schadenfreude*, some music, and a healthy dose of imagination—then season it all with a pinch of *Laddu* and a hearty dash of mischief.