The greatest monumental work of German cultural history - like you've never seen it before!
Animated Series 4 x 25 min / Animated Feature 100 min
– ADULT ANIMATION –
"The RING of the NIBELUNG" had its world premiere at Bayreuth in 1876
The 150th anniversary will be August 13, 2026
A Hilarious Journey Through Wagner’s Madness!
The RING of the NIBELUNG by Richard Wagner is known the world over!
Yet, it’s doubtful that even the most eager opera-goers actually know what they’re in for! The absurd tale of GREED, POWER, TREASON, LUST and INCEST is almost unbelievable! Sadly, this utterly bonkers story is just as relevant today as it was when Wagner first concocted this absurdity.
My concept builds on Wagner’s absurd dialogues, which music aesthete Eduard Hanslick dubbed „a bombastic stammering of alliteration!“, the outrageous events of all four operas and my own “graphic novel,” which I completed back in 2018.
A laugh-out-loud ride through Richard Wagner’s legendary opera cycle. Following the bumbling god Wotan, the vengeful dwarf Alberich, and a cast of absurd characters in a whirlwind of greed, betrayal, and hilarious mishaps. From the flirty Rhinemaidens to the overconfident hero Siegfried, this modern comedy adaptation turns mythical madness into timeless hilarity.
Stylistically, I’m envisioning a mix of „papercraft“ and „stop motion“ aesthetics, closer to the 1950’s look of old Czech stop-motion films than to the glossy, high-polished 3D looks of today! I’d love to give you a brief glimpse of this „look development“ (work in progress) right here.
Synopsis:
As host, narrator, and commentator, Loge, the mischievous demigod, will guide us through the story.
The cunning fellow comments on the absurd events from today’s perspective, thereby creating a modernization without changing the original story – no opera director has achieved that before!
We kick off with DAS RHEINGOLD, where Alberich, a dwarf with a face only a mother could love, is mocked by the flirty Rhinemaidens. Enraged and humiliated, he steals their magical gold and forges a ring of ultimate power, setting off a chain reaction of chaos. Enter Wotan, king of the gods, who decides that stealing the ring from Alberich sounds like a great idea. With the help of the sly trickster Loge, Wotan nabs the ring, which is quickly cursed Alberich, and promptly regrets it when everything goes south, including his plan to pay off the giants Fasolt and Fafner with said ring. Giants fight, one dies, and Fafner turns into a dragon. Typical day in the Wagnerverse.
Next up, DIE WALKÜRE, where we dive into Wotan’s dysfunctional family drama. Siegmund and Sieglinde, twins separated at birth, reunite and fall in love (yes, it’s as awkward as it sounds). Siegmund’s heroic, incestuous love story doesn’t sit well with Wotan’s wife, Fricka, who insists on upholding traditional family values. Wotan reluctantly orders his favorite daughter, Brünnhilde, to kill Siegmund. Brünnhilde, being a rebel with a cause, disobeys, and things go predictably sideways. Siegmund dies, Sieglinde escapes pregnant with Siegfried, and Brünnhilde is punished with a magic sleep surrounded by fire. Talk about family issues.
Fast forward to SIEGFRIED, where Siegfried, the overconfident offspring of Siegmund and Sieglinde, is raised by the devious dwarf Mime. Siegfried is annoyingly heroic, reforges his father’s broken sword, and kills Fafner the dragon (formerly a giant). After a quick chat with a talking bird, Siegfried learns of Brünnhilde and wakes her with a kiss. Romance blossoms in the most heroic way possible, and they declare their love amidst the smoldering ruins of Wotan’s pride.
Finally, we reach GÖTTERDÄMMERUNG, the grand finale where everything goes up in flames. The Gibichungs—Gunther, Gutrune, and their scheming half-brother Hagen—enter the scene. Hagen, son of Alberich, wants the ring and manipulates everyone with more love potions and betrayal than a daytime soap opera. Siegfried, love-potioned and memory-wiped, forgets Brünnhilde and marries Gutrune. Brünnhilde, furious and heartbroken, teams up with Hagen to murder Siegfried. Siegfried dies, memories return, Brünnhilde sets herself and everything else on fire, and the Rhinemaidens reclaim the cursed ring. The gods, having thoroughly bungled everything, meet their fiery end as Valhalla burns.
The curtain falls, leaving the audience utterly overwhelmed by these monumental absurdities, forced to grapple with the fact that the world today is still just as insane!
The script is at work. The dialogues are based on Alfred Forman’s
“ English words to Richard Wagner’s Der Ring des Nibelungen, in the alliterative verse of the original“.
The works of Richard WAGNER and Alfred FOREMAN used in this production are in the public domain.
The full cast of „The RING of the NIBELUNG“ – Graphic Novel Version Character Design
The following „Grafische Novelle“ (German Version) can be seen as a first idea pitch, an inspirational or thumbnail board.
