Ruhr Festival 2026 – Hard Times

With "Hard Times," the Ruhr Festival 2026, in collaboration with the Thalia Theater Hamburg, presents a new stage adaptation of Charles Dickens' 1854 novel. Directed by Antú Romero Nunes, who previously brought his acclaimed production of "Max and Moritz" to the Ruhr Festival in 2019, the play is set in the fictional northern English industrial town of Coketown. Young siblings Louisa and Tom are subjected to the strict upbringing of their father, who suppresses feelings and creativity. Only through Sissy, the child of a circus acrobat, does imagination enter their lives. Meanwhile, the factory workers' resistance against exploitation and social injustice is growing. Dickens' tale of the search for justice and humanity in a world governed by the rhythm of machines is reinterpreted in this co-production as a musical experience featuring both singing and acting.