IN THE JUNGLE OF CITIES

Does every person have a price? In the urban jungle, this question turns into a fierce struggle for money, power, and the authority of interpretation—a theme more relevant than ever in a society marked by growing inequality. For the stage, Volker Lösch and Lothar Kittstein have adapted Brecht’s IN THE JUNGLE OF CITIES for the present day, turning it into a sharp critique of capitalism and its deepening social divisions.

George Garga works in a library in Chicago when the wealthy lumber merchant Shlink enters his life. He makes a provocative offer: if Garga declares a particular book to be bad, he will receive a large sum of money. Garga rejects this arbitrary deal, insisting on his intellectual independence. But Shlink persists in demanding submission and has the library devastated. Thus begins a monumental duel that gradually engulfs the entire city. The opponents risk everything: money, family, work, love—and ultimately their own lives.

IN THE JUNGLE OF CITIES prophetically anticipates today’s unleashed capitalism, in which social inequality continues to widen. The super-rich appear untouchable, while the most vulnerable are left behind. Fear of social decline spreads across the middle class—a fertile ground for authoritarian and fascist ideologies. Against this backdrop, director Volker Lösch and author Lothar Kittstein reimagine Brecht’s powerful text for the present day. The »boxing match«, as Brecht called his play, feels more relevant than ever.