Tage aus Glas

In 1901, the furnaces at the world’s largest glassworks in Gerresheim were on the verge of being shut down: the workers were on strike for better pay and dignity, whilst others profited from their ownership of the factory. At the heart of *Tage aus Glas* are Bille, the daughter of a glassworker, and Leonie, the daughter of the factory doctor. Their different worlds reflect the class divisions of the time. The new production by the theatre collective Pièrre.Vers, led by director Christof Seeger-Zurmühlen, links the history of the Gerresheim strike with contemporary issues of social participation, ownership structures and class struggles, as seen through the eyes of the two women. The play takes the audience on a journey through time around the site of the former glassworks, an industrial wasteland caught between the past and the future. Amidst listed brick buildings, open spaces and new construction projects, the stories of Bille, Leonie and the glassworks – which still shapes Gerresheim – intertwine. In an age of economic growth pressures, digitalisation and technological transformation, how has the relationship changed between those who live from wage labour and those who profit from wealth? The literary basis for the theatre tour ‘Tage aus Glas’ is the eponymous debut novel by Dorothee Krings, published in 2025 by HarperCollins.

The Pièrre.Vers theatre collective from Düsseldorf is one of the most renowned independent theatre groups in the country and is known beyond the borders of North Rhine-Westphalia for its documentary theatre. The group develops immersive projects in public spaces or at historically significant locations, where issues relevant to global society are explored using the city as a microcosm.

In her debut novel *Tage aus Glas*, Dorothee Krings (born in Mönchengladbach in 1973) combines historical research with a multi-layered narrative exploring class, background and self-determination.

World premiere: 20 July 2026, asphalt Festival, Düsseldorf
Cast: Julia Dillmann, Justus Rosenkranz, Christof Seeger-Zurmühlen, Alexander Steindorf, Anna Tabea Stockbrügger, Blanka Winkler
Direction and concept: Christof Seeger-Zurmühlen
Costumes and set design: Susanne Hoffmann
Dramaturgy and adaptation, Leonie Ute Maria Adam
Composition and sound design, Bojan Vuletić
Sound engineering, Sandra Zawada, Benjamín Herrera
Assistant director, Mika Ludwig
Organisational support, Halgir Abdulkareem, Emil Gonzales Dillmann, Laron Janus
Production manager, Melissa Müller
Press relations, Marita Ingenhoven
Social media, Hannah Busch, Dietgard Brandenburg

A production by the theatre collective Pièrre.Vers, in co-production with the asphalt Festival and the Düsseldorf Festival, supported by the Ministry of Culture and Science of the State of North Rhine-Westphalia, the City of Düsseldorf, the Art and Culture Foundation of Stadtsparkasse Düsseldorf, the BürgerStiftung Düsseldorf, the Sparkassenstiftung Rheinland and the van Meeteren Foundation.

Our heartfelt thanks for their fantastic support go to Rainer Menzel, Samir Noori, as well as Tim Neiser, Mareike Seidemann and the team at GLASVOLL.
Many thanks to the Kaufmann family, Lothar Schröder and Dorothee Schröder-Krings for their openness, helpfulness and numerous ideas.
Graphic design: dasbuero. Hans Peter Maria Müller

Meeting point:
Yellow bridge over the Düssel between Katharinenstraße and Zur Düsselaue/Heckteichstraße, 40627 Düsseldorf-Gerresheim
Duration: 120 mins, including approx. 1 hour’s walk
This event is not suitable for wheelchair users or people with reduced mobility.
Please note: ‘Tage aus Glas’ takes place in public spaces and predominantly outdoors; please therefore dress appropriately for the weather – depending on the conditions, consider bringing, for example, a sun hat or cap and a small bottle of water, or an umbrella and a rain jacket. There are some steps to negotiate, unpaved forest paths and an ascent of around 200 metres over uneven terrain. We therefore recommend sturdy footwear.