Bulgakov's 'Heart of a Dog' Reimagined as Dystopian Theater in Hamburg

Claudia Bauer and Armin Petras have adapted Mikhail Bulgakov's 1925 novel 'Heart of a Dog' for the stage at the Deutsches Schauspielhaus in Hamburg, transforming the satirical work into a contemporary dystopian narrative. The production explores societal abysses through a loud but failed road trip. In the original story, a surgeon specializing in aesthetic optimization implants the pituitary gland and testicles of a petty criminal into a stray dog, aiming to create the 'New Man'—a key concept under Stalin's Soviet Union. Instead, the creature becomes a vulgar, instinct-driven proletarian who rises to head a department for cleansing Moscow of cats. Bauer and Petras update this satire for modern audiences, blending Bulgakov's themes with the aesthetic of 'Blade Runner.' The production is described as a harsh journey through societal depths, though ultimately deemed a failed road trip.