Theatre in the Bunker: Where Austrian History Comes Alive

Theatre in the Bunker [ENA] Forget the traditional theatre auditorium regarding this wonderful performance. In Mödling, theatre begins the moment the audience steps underground. With Horrible Habsburger! – Sechshundert Jahre Sex & Crime & Kaiserschmarrn., the TZF-Theaterbetriebe have once again transformed the former Mödling air-raid shelter into one of Austria’s most unusual theatrical spaces.

Conceived, written and directed by Bruno Max, the production turns six centuries of Habsburg history into an exhilarating mixture of comedy, history, grotesque spectacle and theatrical adventure. The most unique feature, however, is the format. There is no conventional stage and no fixed seating. Small groups of around twenty spectators enter the extensive tunnel system every fifteen minutes and literally wander through the production. Around every corner, a new scene, performer, image or installation appears. The audience does not simply watch the story unfold; it experiences the evening piece by piece.

Horrible Habsburger! deliberately looks beyond the familiar portraits of Maria Theresa, Franz Joseph and Sisi, instead presenting a wonderfully outrageous cabinet of historical curiosities. The Habsburg dynasty becomes material for irreverent comedy, with sex, scandal, eccentricity and political absurdity taking centre stage. Yet beneath the jokes lies a genuine fascination with the strange and often contradictory world of Austrian history.

The bunker itself is an extraordinary theatrical partner. Its narrow passages, darkness and rough underground atmosphere provide something no conventional theatre set could reproduce. At a cool 12–14 degrees Celsius, it may be the coolest summer theatre in Austria—but the production itself is anything but cold. What makes Horrible Habsburger! particularly memorable is the feeling of discovery. Every turn promises another surprise, while the unconventional staging makes the audience an active participant rather than a passive observer.

It is theatre as exploration, with history emerging from the darkness one encounter at a time. The result is exuberant, inventive and thoroughly entertaining. Theatre in the Bunker demonstrates that some of the most exciting theatre can happen far away from a conventional stage—and that Austrian history, when approached with imagination and a healthy disregard for solemnity, can still feel wonderfully alive.