Theater: Marco Goecke is rehearsing for the revival in Hanover

Choreographer Marco Goecke will be working again at the Hanover State Opera in the coming season despite his dog excrement attack. A spokeswoman said that no new choreographies were planned. But his plays would be performed as revivals. They are an important part of the repertoire. “As is usual in ballet, Marco Goecke will be involved as a guest in the rehearsal and will work with the ballet ensemble at the State Opera,” said the spokeswoman.

Goecke’s house ban, which was pronounced after the attack in February, was lifted at the beginning of March. The State Ballet is looking forward to the season with renowned choreographers “like Marco Goecke” “with great anticipation”. The first production scheduled for September 23 is the revival of Goecke’s “A Wilde Story”. The rehearsals for this start at the beginning of September.

The then chief choreographer and ballet director Goecke had smeared a critic with dog feces in the foyer of the opera house in February. He had previously accused the journalist of always writing “bad, personal” reviews. The State Theater parted ways with him after the attack. In an interview with the “Hannoversche Allgemeine Zeitung” newspaper published on Tuesday, Goecke said he regretted his attack: “What happened is tragic, and we also regret it.” He said he was suffering from burnout prior to the incident.

Lower Saxony’s Minister of Culture, Falko Mohrs (SPD), clearly criticized the cooperation between the State Opera and Goecke: “The termination of the contract as a reaction to Marco Goecke’s disgusting behavior in February created immediate clarity.” In this way, damage should be averted, as the minister emphasized. As chairman of the supervisory board, he thinks it is unacceptable that Goecke should be involved in the rehearsal as a guest and work with the ballet ensemble at the State Opera.