Räuber Hotzenplotz

A Family Story for the Holiday Season by Otfried Preußler

“A magic coat like that is really something special! You sit down on Buxtehude, say a magic spell—and whoosh!—it carries you home through the air in the blink of an eye!”

Today, it might rain, storm, or snow in Grandma’s garden. To celebrate her birthday, she’s
invited Kasperl and Seppl over for a big slice of plum cake and coffee. And as if that weren’t lucky enough, the two of them also give her a beautiful coffee grinder that can play her favorite song, “Alles neu macht der Mai.”

The story could end right here—happy ending, everyone happy, everyone full—if it weren’t for the nasty robber Hotzenplotz, who loves coffee just as much as Kasperl, Seppl, and Grandma. In the blink of an eye, he’s vanished into his robber’s lair, taking the coffee grinder with him. Location: unknown. But Kasperl and Seppl aren’t going to let themselves be robbed that easily, and a wild chase for the loot begins. The happy ending will have to wait—the adventure begins!

Olivia Müller-Elmau (*1998) studied philosophy and political science at LMU Munich and subsequently directing at the Theater Academy of the Hfmt Hamburg and the Zhdk Zurich. A particular focus of her work is on contemporary drama. In the fall of 2025, she made her debut as a director at the Staatstheater Kassel with the world premiere of the play*Schamparadies*by Sina Ahlers.

To get in the mood for the theater visit, audience members and teachers can watch an introductory video featuring a behind-the-scenes look, interactive exercises, and information on the play’s development
. Available starting in November 2026 under“Räuber Hotzenplotz”at www.staatstheater-kassel.de or upon request at theaterpaedagogik@staatstheater-kassel.de.

www.staatstheater-kassel.de