Catharina Kleber

The spectacular troupe La Fura dels Baus joyfully reimagines Johann Sebastian Bach’s “Peasant Cantata” at the Alte Oper in Frankfurt.

William Shakespeare’s “A Midsummer Night’s Dream” is tackled by a quirky group of teachers in the Theatre Basel production, exploring Greek mythology and an enchanted forest. Oberon and Titania’s marital strife affects two Athenian couples, while Puck’s well-meaning actions worsen the chaos. Despite the magic and intrigue, the lovers unite, allowing the Athenian royal wedding to proceed. The school principal and his wife portray Oberon and Titania, the history teacher is Helena, and the ethics teacher becomes Puck. Initially planning to rehearse “Pyramus and Thisbe,” the faculty’s production is a celebration of imagination, with costume and set designer Matthias Koch creating seamless transitions. The play is a joyful, humorous exploration of theatre itself.

On stage since she was a toddler, Googoosh has been an icon of Iranian pop culture since the 1970s. Her progressive style and raw singing talent attracted worldwide acclaim and saw her performing alongside the likes of Tina Turner and Ray Charles. But the star's career came to an abrupt halt after the Islamic Revolution, which banned women from singing in public. Googoosh was placed under house arrest, where she remained for the next two decades. Niloufar Taghizadeh's documentary, which includes interviews with the charismatic singer (now in her seventies, but still performing and advocating for women and girls) and arresting archival footage, offers both a loving portrait of a national icon and a fascinating historical and cultural record of Iran.

The 9th Symphony of Ludwig van Beethoven is one of the most popular pieces of classical music in the world. Even those who are not passionate about the classical music recognize the famous Ode to Joy. Despite the grim context in which it was created, the 9th Symphony leaves us fascinated, moved and uplifted by its creativity, its power and its culmination in the Ode to Joy. More than 160 years after it was written, Beethoven’s hymn to brotherhood was adopted by the European Union as its official anthem. But Beethoven’s Ninth is also met with enthusiasm far beyond the borders of Europe. What’s the explanation for its never ending success? What is it about this work of art that fascinates people all over the world?