About the work
“Schrei so laut du kannst” (“Scream as loud as you can”) is a play by Juli Mahid Carly, written at the invitation of Theater Magdeburg and also directed there by Carly. It premiered on 20 September 2025 in Kammer 2 of the Magdeburg Schauspielhaus. The starting point was Tokio Hotel, the band from Magdeburg whose expanded 2006 re-release of their debut album bears the same title; the play does not, however, retell the band's own story.
Plot
Georgina, Zachi and the twins Timmi and Änn grow up in a village of around 600 people in Saxony-Anhalt, idolise Tokio Hotel and play village fêtes with their school band “Sorry, nein!” until a production team discovers them. Rapid success brings adoration and hatred, quarrels within the band, shady managers, strict rules and an overwhelming media frenzy. Singer Timmi in particular is targeted because their appearance does not fit conventional gender norms, first in the schoolyard and later at concerts. At the same time a love story develops between Timmi and Zachi, who plays the triangle in the band but really wants to rap.
Cultural significance
Carly links the rise-to-fame story with questions of visibility, queerness and the pressure to conform, and has called Tokio Hotel one of the few queer icons of their own childhood; the play is meant to work without any knowledge of the band. Reviews described the premiere as a funny, musical evening that never makes fun of Tokio Hotel yet still finds serious moments; one critic noted that the heavy use of youth slang sometimes leaves older audiences behind.