New director at the Vienna Volkstheater: Gloger's fresh wind!

New director at the Vienna Volkstheater: Gloger's fresh wind!

Wien, Österreich - On June 13, 2025, the Vienna Volkstheater took a new path: Jan Philipp Gloger, who was previously acting director at the State Theater Nuremberg, takes over the directorate. The 44-year-old succeeds Kay Voges, who changes to the stages in Cologne after five years. Gloger not only brings a breath of fresh air, but also exciting plans for the first season that begins on September 12th.

"Did you go crazy?" If you look at Gloger's ambitions, one could ask. With a new logo that emphasizes the term "Volks", he wants to create a diverse offer and places a special focus on comedies to address a wide audience. "We not only want to reach the lovers of classical music, but also those who just want to laugh," explains Gloger.

a committed ensemble

An important step was the targeted search for ensemble members with a connection to the city of Vienna. Gloger has only brought a small part of the Nuremberg ensemble with him, but can be proud of a new team with 20 members, including well -known names such as Paula Nocker, Sissi Reich and Johanna WOALEK. Tobias Schuster takes over the position of the leading dramaturge, while Rieke Süßkow directs the direction at Horváth's "Stories from the Wiener Wald".

The first season already promises some highlights. Among other things, the productions of Schnitzler's “Dream Novel” and “Caché” according to Michael Haneke are planned. The Komédie "Bank robbery" is also brought on stage - an event that many visitors are looking for: Waiting for the inside. Gloger has clearly committed to the goal of stressing the laughing muscles of the audience and stimulating discussions.

Price for new plays

Another highlight is the introduction of the Jura-Soyfer Prize, which is endowed with 30,000 euros. Gloger wants to encourage authors to write strange and political pieces. "The term 'people' should not be left to the right, rather we want to show attitude," said Gloger. The idea is to establish the Volkstheater as a place of debate and exchange.

is also interesting to integrate Gloger's approach to integrating digital narrative methods into theater. During his time in Nuremberg, he has already developed digital forms of the theater and sees this as a serious expansion of traditional theater practice. According to Gloger, the audience should both find the possibility of escapism and get space for analytical reflection.

The first premieres of the new season are also scheduled. On September 12, the Soyfer collage "I want to hike to the Milky Way!" listed, followed by "Caché" on September 14th and "The Boys are Kissing" on September 25th. In the course of the season, theater goers can also look forward to the timeless story “Oedipus Tyrann”, which celebrates its premiere on November 14th.

For everyone who missed the Vienna Volkstheater in the past few weeks: the house opened its video archive during the painful times and published old records of ideas. Until May 10th there was the opportunity to see recordings for 24 hours a day, something that should bridge the gap in theater.

Jan Philipp Gloger will lead the fortunes of the Vienna Volkstheater from September. One thing is certain: with its fresh perspective and its clear focus on the concerns of the audience, the coming season will be exciting. Because in the question of the folk theater, "still feel?", Gloger not only wants to find answers, but also actively design the dialogue with the audience.