Landschaftstheater Ballenberg - Anne Bäbi Jowäger
Price from
CHF 50.00 p/person
From June 30 to August 14, 2027, the Ballenberg Open-Air Theater will present “Anne Bäbi Jowäger,” based on the novel by Jeremias Gotthelf. The play tells a story of love, paternalism, and the courage to defy predetermined paths in life.
Itinerary
The well-known actress Doro Müggler stars as Anne Bäbi Jowäger. Gerhard Meister wrote the stage adaptation, and Livio Andreina directs.
Plot
Anne Bäbi Jowäger knows exactly what she wants: nothing but the best. And she relentlessly insists on getting it. This applies to others as well—and especially to her only son, Jakob, who is nearly crushed by his mother’s overwhelming love. But what happens when the son defies his mother’s will? When he refuses to marry the woman his mother has chosen for him? And instead secretly falls in love with someone else? In short: What happens when Anne Bäbi is forced to give in—something she finds harder than death itself? That’s when the great drama begins. That’s when everything goes haywire. Until, finally, there’s no other choice, and she has to let her son have his way. The woman by Jakob’s side turns out to be someone other than the one Anne Bäbi had planned. And the story takes yet another new, surprising turn.
Production
“Anne Bäbi Jowäger” brings one of Jeremias Gotthelf’s most famous characters to the stage. Livio Andreina’s production combines Gotthelf’s love drama with the striking atmosphere of Ballenberg. Amid the historic buildings of the open-air museum, the audience encounters a timeless story about family expectations, personal freedom, and the question of how much letting go true love requires. AnnaMaria Glaudemans is responsible for the set design. The music by Annika Johanna Sirkiä and Beat Unternährer accompanies the story and lends the conflicts, emotions, and dramatic twists their own unique sound.
Venue
The Swiss Open-Air Museum Ballenberg is a unique venue for showcasing rural culture. This year’s theater production, “Anne Bäbi Jowäger,” will be performed in front of the historic farmhouse from Eggiwil, Bern. The building and the surrounding landscape create an incomparable setting for Gotthelf’s story.
Brief information
Show times: The performance begins at 8:00 p.m.
Return trip: Approximately 20 minutes after the performance
Children: The play is suitable for children ages 10 and up
Food and drink: There is a food stand serving Swiss cuisine on the way to the grandstand.
The first open-air production took place on the Ballenberg in the summer of 1991. In 2019, the Ballenberg Landscape Theater, which is visited by over 18,000 people every summer, celebrated its 25th production. The Ballenberg Theater has earned a very good reputation and is one of the best-known open-air theaters in German-speaking Switzerland. The production in the middle of the unique house setting is a very special experience!