When does Trade Fair Hit Gisela take place?

The performance begins on Saturday, October 10, 2026, at 19:30.

Where will Trade Fair Hit Gisela be performed?

The operetta will be staged at the Great House of the State Theatre Cottbus at Schillerplatz 1 in 03046 Cottbus.

How long does the performance last?

The event is scheduled according to the programme from 19:30 to 22:05.

How much does a ticket cost?

Tickets are available according to the price list of the State Theatre Cottbus starting from 11 euros. The prices depend on the seating category and tariff.

Who composed Trade Fair Hit Gisela?

The music is by Gerd Natschinski, and the libretto is by Jo Schulz. In Cottbus, the version by Axel Ranisch is being performed.

What is Trade Fair Hit Gisela about?

The focus is on fashion designer Gisela Claus, who creatively and confidently confronts rigid structures and designs a new trade fair hit.

Trade Fair Hit Gisela brings operetta magic and societal wit to Cottbus

Name: Trade Fair Hit Gisela
Start: 2026-10-10T19:30:00+02:00
End: 2026-10-10T22:05:00+02:00
Location: Großes Haus des Staatstheaters Cottbus

Trade Fair Hit Gisela: An operetta between fashion, music, and a societal wink

On October 10, 2026, the Great House of the State Theatre Cottbus will transform into a stage for Gerd Natschinski's cheerful music theatre. Trade Fair Hit Gisela combines catchy melodies, pointed dialogues, and a story about fashion, self-assertion, and the awakening of a young woman.

A GDR operetta returns to the limelight

Gerd Natschinski's operetta from 1960 was created after a libretto by Jo Schulz. At the center is Gisela Claus, a creative fashion designer who stands up against rigid ideas and corporate power structures. Together with a collective, she develops a design that is to become the title's trade fair hit.

The version by Axel Ranisch from 2024 opens the historical material for a contemporary stage perspective. Between nostalgic surface and a satirical gaze, an evening of music theatre is created that briskly examines the ideals, contradictions, and aesthetic concepts of the GDR.

Music with earworm quality and danceable drive

Natschinski's score thrives on melodic directness and a colorful dance language. Foxtrot, tango, cha-cha-cha, and rock 'n' roll give the characters their own musical profiles. The acoustics of the Great House allow the orchestral colors to stand out just like the rhythmic energy of the ensemble scenes.

This results in a stage experience between operetta, revue, and musical satire. The music carries the action, comments on the characters, and transforms the historical source into a lively theatre evening.

Fashion as an expression of freedom and personality

On stage, clothing becomes the dramatic engine. Fabrics, cuts, and colors tell of conformity and individuality, collective role models, and the desire to find one’s own style. The planned fashion show will encapsulate these themes in a theatrical finale full of movement, light, and musical brilliance.

The production relies on the contrast between corporate order and creative imagination. In acting, comedic exaggeration, operetta-typical precision, and human sensitivity come together.

Historical material with surprising relevance

Trade Fair Hit Gisela premiered in 1960 at the Berliner Metropol Theatre and initially developed into a successful work of cheerful music theatre. After the Wall was built, the operetta largely disappeared from the programmes. The rediscovery now brings a nearly forgotten chapter of German-German theatre history back into awareness.

Current reviews of the revival of the piece praised the mixture of lively stage action, musical nostalgia, and surprisingly satirical texts. The Cottbus production by Katja Wolff works with the version by Axel Ranisch and brings the material to a new venue and a new present.

Conclusion: Operetta magic with historical depth

The audience can expect a colorful stage experience filled with lively dance numbers, pointed comedy, and a story about courage, creativity, and social change. Those who want to experience operetta not as museum art, but as living stage art, will find in Trade Fair Hit Gisela a surprising theatre evening. Secure your tickets and experience the theatrical atmosphere of the Great House live.