Going to the Dogs: The Story of a Moralist.
(Fabian oder Der Gang vor die Hunde, Erich Kästner)
TJG Dresden
Regie: Nils Zapfe

In the production of Fabian or the Walk to the Dogs, directed by Nils Zapfe, the audience is seated on a »devil’s wheel« — a revolving stage that moves through a 360-degree performance space. This dynamic setup makes Berlin’s turmoil during the late Weimar Republic physically palpable, with the movement orchestrating seamless scene changes and immersing the audience in the unfolding story.
The minimalist set employs textile objects and hoses to creatively shape spaces. Rooms are marked by simple lines, hats transform into telephone wires, and fabric guns and tentacles evoke threat and seduction. Costumes dominated by deathly black underscore the omnipresence of death, while a fabric puppet adds symbolic abstraction.
Olfactory elements enhance the sensory depth, making Kästner’s critique of societal collapse tangible. This approach turns the novel’s themes into a powerful, multi-sensory experience that fully engages the audience.