New director at the Vienna Volkstheater: Gloger's breath of fresh air!

New director at the Vienna Volkstheater: Gloger's breath of fresh air!

On June 13, 2025, the Vienna Volkstheater took a new path: Jan Philipp Gloger, who was previously acting director at the Nuremberg State Theater, took over as director. The 44-year-old succeeds Kay Voges, who is moving 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, which begins on September 12th.

“Have you gone crazy?” one might ask when looking at Gloger's ambitions. With a new logo that emphasizes the term “people”, he wants to create a diverse offering and places a particular focus on comedies in order to appeal to a wide audience. “We don’t just want to reach classical music lovers, but also those who just want to laugh,” explains Gloger.

A committed ensemble

An important step was the targeted search for ensemble members with connections to the city of Vienna. Although Gloger only brought a small part of the Nuremberg ensemble with him, he can be proud of a new team with 20 members, including well-known names such as Paula Nocker, Sissi Reich and Johanna Wokalek. Tobias Schuster takes on the position of lead dramaturge, while Rieke Süßkow directs Horváth's “Tales from the Vienna Woods”.

The first season already promises some highlights. Among other things, productions of Schnitzler's “Traumnovelle” and “Caché” based on Michael Haneke are planned. The comedy “Bank Robbery” will also be brought to the stage – an event that many visitors are already eagerly awaiting. Gloger is clearly committed to the goal of taxing the audience's laughing muscles and stimulating discussion.

Prize 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 comic and political pieces. “The term ‘people’ should not be left to the right, rather we want to take a stand,” said Gloger. The idea is to establish the Volkstheater as a place for debate and exchange.

Gloger's approach to integrating digital narratives into theater operations is also interesting. During his time in Nuremberg he has already developed digital forms of theater and sees them as a serious extension of traditional theater practice. According to Gloger, the audience should find both the opportunity for escapism and space for analytical reflection.

The first premieres of the new season have also already been scheduled. On September 12th, the Soyfer collage “I want to walk to the Milky Way!” performed, followed by “Caché” on September 14th and “The Boys Are Kissing” on September 25th. As the season progresses, theatergoers can also look forward to the timeless story “Oedipus Tyrann,” which premieres on November 14th.

For everyone who has missed the Vienna Volkstheater in recent weeks: During the painful times, the theater opened its video archive and published old recordings of performances. Until May 10th there was the opportunity to watch recordings for 24 hours every day, something that was intended to bridge the gap in theater operations.

Jan Philipp Gloger will be in charge of the Vienna Volkstheater from September. One thing is certain: with his fresh perspective and clear focus on the audience's concerns, the coming season will be exciting. Because when it comes to the question about popular theater, “Do you still feel yourself?”, Gloger not only wants to find answers, but also actively shape the dialogue with the audience.