A Vibrant Reinvention: Robin Hood – Biest-Ballade

Wiener FestWochen [ENA] The Wiener Festwochen's presentation of Robin Hood – Biest-Ballade by Wu Tsang and Moved by the Motion is a dazzling celebration of friendship, justice, and theatrical imagination that resonates brilliantly with audiences of all ages. This 55-minute family theatre piece, staged at Vienna’s Volkstheater, revisits the legendary outlaw not as a solitary hero, but as part of a vibrant force fighting societal wrongs.

Wu Tsang’s direction, along with the creative movement direction by Tosh Basco and Josh Johnson, infuses the production with kinetic energy and visual poetry. The stage transforms into a mythic forest playground where every gesture, every formation of the ensemble, carries symbolic weight. The choreography feels both intuitive and bold, inviting audience immersion and offering a fresh interpretation of camaraderie and resistance. Nina Mader’s remarkable set and Carlos Soto’s costumes strike a delicate balance between the familiar and the fantastical, using minimalist structures and earthy tones to blend nature with theatricality. Composed by Asma Maroof, the music delivers an eclectic mix—from primal rhythms to melodic refrains.

This production also excels in fostering a genuinely inclusive atmosphere, both in its casting and in its thematic embrace of diversity, cooperation, and care. Rather than upholding traditional binaries of hero and villain, Robin Hood – Biest-Ballade blurs the lines between myth and reality, allowing its ensemble of performers to embody multiple perspectives and experiences. The result is a theatrical experience that feels urgent and alive—where children and adults alike are invited not just to watch, but to imagine, empathize, and dream collectively. It’s a generous and joyful reminder that storytelling can be both radical and playful, and that the forest of rebellion still has space for new voices to echo.