Munich's Radikal Jung festival redefines performance art with feminist Antigone and bold experiments
Munich’s Volkstheater is hosting the 20th edition of Radikal Jung, a festival showcasing bold new works in performance art. This year’s programme features exclusively young directors and a diverse mix of theatre, opera, and experimental shows. The event opens with a striking reinterpretation of Antigone framed as feminist protest. The festival kicks off with Mikheil Charkviani’s Antigone, blending ancient tragedy with modern political struggles. His production ties the story to today’s protests and authoritarian crackdowns, presenting it as an act of feminist defiance.
A five-member jury selected twelve works for the lineup, though contemporary drama is notably missing. Instead, audiences will see classic spoken theatre, avant-garde opera, and conceptual performances. Among them is *Unrest* by the dance-theatre collective *Group Crisis*. This interactive piece transforms spectators into participants in a social experiment inspired by the medieval dancing plague. The festival also includes productions from major venues like Berlin’s Maxim Gorki Theater and the Volkstheater itself. Organisers highlight its refusal to embrace isolation, calling this defiance one of its most radically youthful traits.
This year’s Radikal Jung brings together experimental works from emerging directors across multiple disciplines. The festival runs at Munich’s Volkstheater, offering a platform for fresh voices in performance art. Audiences can expect immersive experiences, from reimagined classics to boundary-pushing interactive shows.
