Over the past few weeks and months, the workshops have been working around the clock on the sets for La Bohème and The Little Ghost. La Bohème was conceptualized by the American director and set designer Matthew Ferraro, and the children’s opera was designed by Hank Irwin Kittel.

Productions that take place outside the theatre always present unique challenges for the set designers. These are not sheltered spaces equipped with state-of-the-art stage technology or movable platforms, and it is not possible to use a revolving stage or flyrail system to make set elements disappear as if by magic. For Matthew Ferraro, who is staging a production on the 70 cathedral steps for the first time, it quickly became clear that his original vision for the La Bohème set could not be realized. After three alternative versions, he eventually found the perfect solution in close coordination and collaboration with constructors Heiko Lemke and Jonas Würtz, workshop manager Stefan Rittmeister, and Technical Director Christian Stark: a set that met all the technical demands and could withstand the weather conditions on the Domstufen.

The Eiffel Tower now stands at 16 meters tall and weighs 2.5 tonnes. It is stabilized by a 2.5-ton counterweight made of foundation stones. The steel structure was manufactured from numerous individual parts in the metal workshop and assembled in the assembly hall. It was then dismantled and stored so that it could be painted and prepared for transport to the DomStufen. Meanwhile, the carpentry workshop was working on the wooden structure for the three-lane slide. Consisting of five segments, it measures 22 meters in length and has a 40 degree incline. The sliding surfaces consist of dozens of stainless steel plates — six per segment — which are glued and screwed onto the wood. The side sections and handrails are made of wood and have been painted in the paint shop so that no difference in material is visible, even upon close inspection.

During our visit to the paint shop, we caught a glimpse of a giant piece of dark blue fabric with golden stars on it. Measuring 22 metres wide by 6 metres high, the curtain will be used to depict the night sky in the children’s production The Little Ghost. Meanwhile, the costume workshop is bustling with activity to ensure that all the costumes are completed in time for the final rehearsals. One costume in La Bohème is sure to catch the audience’s eye: Musetta’s red faux fur coat. Jeremy Stramke sewed this with a custom-made inner lining of thin batting to ensure that it fits comfortably and doesn't add too much volume or slow her down when she slides onto stage. Right next to him, Dana Heister is working on one of the elaborate market costumes. Together with Gerlinde Heuchert, she is sewing the outfit for the cake seller. The audience can look forward to a stunning costume in the shape of a golden, tiered cake stand adorned with an array of sweet, sugary cupcakes. These were lovingly crafted from styrofoam by costume designer Corinna Horvath, who paid great attention to detail.

Construction work on the festival site begins on 21 July. From that point on, all the pieces of the puzzle gradually come together: the grandstand, the technical equipment, the set design and the costumes. Every detail has been carefully prepared over many weeks. Dear audience, what awaits you at the premieres on 8 and 16 August is a complete work of art whose full impact goes far beyond what words can capture. It is a unique experience created from many passionately crafted elements.

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