About the work
“Mondrausch” (Moon Intoxication) is a comic opera with an open ending by Justus Wilcken and Konstantin Dupelius, who write both music and libretto together. Commissioned by the Mainfranken Theater Würzburg, it is created together with the theatre's own ensemble and a community choir from Würzburg and premieres on 17 April 2027 in the Kleines Haus. It is the duo's first full-length opera; since 2018 they have developed music-theatre evenings together under the name OMG Schubert.
Plot
Faced with overpopulation and dwindling resources, an enterprising businessman develops a performance-enhancing drug. Under its influence, America and Europe decide to found a lunar colony and subject Earth to a controlled “cleansing”, preparing it for a chosen elite. When an expedition to a lake on the Moon becomes necessary to keep the colony alive, the story takes an unexpected turn.
Cultural significance
As the premiere is not until April 2027, no reviews or critical reception exist yet. Unusual for a full-length operatic debut is its development in workshop form together with the ensemble and a community choir specially cast in Würzburg.