Capt'n Flint as Star Trek Commander at the end of the 19th season

Grevesmühlen. With a successful event and a sold-out crowd, the performers of the Piraten Open Air in Grevesmühlen celebrated the end of the 19th season on Saturday. In front of more than 2500 spectators, Benjamin Kernen alias Commander Flint and his crew delivered a real fireworks display.

Traditionally, the actors make fun of themselves in the last performance, the Dernière. This year, the play's theme is “To distant galaxies…”. And so Captain Flint and his crew swapped their pirate outfits for the uniforms of Captain Kirk, Mr. Spock and other crew members of the Starship Enterprise. The “Walrus” was not sailing in the Caribbean either, but in distant galaxies, much to the surprise of the English opponents, who suddenly found themselves face to face with space pirates.

Impressive fireworks at the end

Based on the regular plot, it was then a case of fiber pistols versus muskets on the open-air stage on Schweriner Landstrasse. Marc Zabinski once again provided a highlight, remaining largely true to his usual role as a Dutch financial expert, but slipping into the role of a banker – including the appropriate outfit.

Conclusion of the evening: It was an extremely entertaining piece that neither drifted into slapstick nor overused the theme of humor. Little gags and wordplay ensured that the audience experienced an entertaining and varied evening that culminated in an impressive fireworks display.

Good visitor numbers at the end of the season

Speaking of full houses: In the last few days, the late summer has once again brought a significant increase in visitor numbers to the Piraten Open Air. Although more than half of the audience book their tickets months in advance, the number of spontaneous day visitors depends very much on the weather. Or rather on the forecasts. “Even if the many weather apps are not always accurate, people look to see what the weather will be like in Grevesmühlen in the evening,” explained director Peter Venzmer beforehand. “And if there is something about showers, that's bad for us.” Even if the sun is shining instead.”

Accordingly, visitor numbers at the Piraten Open Air in July were mixed, but recovered noticeably towards the end of the season. The exact figures will only be announced in a few weeks when the full accounts are available.

Premiere: No problems with volume

The 19th season was ultimately successful, and not just in terms of audience numbers. For the first time this season there was no public anger over noise levels. Even though the legal disputes with some residents behind the scenes are far from over, there were no public accusations for the first time. Even the authorities remained quiet this summer. Several measurements were carried out beforehand to ensure that noise limits were adhered to.

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Will Peter Venzmer retire in 2025?

Next year, the 20th episode will bring the adventures of Captain Flint and his crew in the fight against the English full circle. The most exciting question will be the future of artistic director Peter Venzmer, who brought the theater to Grevesmühlen in 2005 and put a lot of heart and soul into making it the success it is today. He has already announced several times that he will retire, but has not yet revealed the date. Will this step be taken in 2025? A successor, Managing Director Matthias Sievert, is already in the starting blocks.

OZ