Comedian Schaller Bids Farewell to the Stage

One of the leading figures of East German cabaret is retiring from the stage: Wolfgang Schaller, the longtime director and writer of Dresden’s Herkuleskeule, is set to give his final regular performances in October at the Kabarettkeller in the Kulturpalast. The 86-year-old plans to focus on writing in the future, the cabaret announced.

Schaller has been a member of the Herkuleskeule for more than 56 years. According to the theater, the cabaret artist—born in Breslau in 1940 and raised in Görlitz—has written around 60 shows since 1970, many of them in collaboration with his longtime writing partner Peter Ensikat. For many years, he also served as artistic director of the Herkuleskeule before handing over the reins to his son, Philipp Schaller, in 2020.

Six more performances planned

Schaller will remain on stage alongside his wife Birgit in the show “Eh ich’s vergesse” through October 18. A total of six more performances are planned until then. Afterward, he plans to continue writing scripts and updating his current plays. His columns will also continue. He will also continue to perform live on select dates.

Saying goodbye to the stage isn’t easy for him. Political cabaret remains an important part of his life. “Even though I know, of course, that my opinions often rub people the wrong way,” Schaller said.