New Opera MONSTER'S PARADISE Will Feature Trump-Inspired Character

The Hamburg State Opera has announced the world premiere of Monster's Paradise, a new opera by Nobel laureate Elfriede Jelinek and Austrian composer Olga Neuwirth. The production is set to debut on February 1, 2026, and marks the duo's first operatic collaboration in 23 years.

News.at reports that director Tobias Kratzer, who will stage the production, revealed his motivation for commissioning the opera. "Exaggeratedly speaking," Kratzer said, "I became artistic director just to commission a work by Olga Neuwirth and Elfriede Jelinek. I contacted Olga Neuwirth the day after signing my contract, though I didn’t know her personally at the time."

The opera is described as a "Grand Guignol Opera," drawing inspiration from the 19th-century French theatrical tradition known for its grotesque and dark themes. The storyline centers on two vampire-like figures named "Vampi" and "Bampi," portrayed as avatars of Jelinek and Neuwirth. These characters attempt to halt a destructive ruler, referred to as the "King/President," who is modeled after U.S. President Donald Trump.

Jelinek explained that the character is inspired by Alfred Jarry's King Ubu, a satirical figure known for grotesque excess. "Yes, the king clearly bears features of Trump," Jelinek stated. "He's modeled on Jarry's King Ubu, which for me is the most accurate depiction of a gluttonous, table-thumping, spoiled child. He always demands an extra scoop of ice cream for dessert — that’s important to him. Of course, literature has plenty of patterns for such monsters — somewhat amusing at first glance, yet terrifying upon closer inspection. One can only portray such figures in a monstrous way, although Trump is nearly impossible to caricature."

The opera introduces a counterforce to the destructive king in the form of Gorgonzilla, a creature born from a nuclear disaster and living on a remote island. According to Kratzer, "Gorgonzilla is ambiguous — is the monster good or incredibly evil, a savior of humanity or the one who ensures its destruction? Maybe the king is Putin and Trump is Gorgonzilla — or the other way around. What does it mean for the world when only a monster can stop a monster?"

Jelinek described Gorgonzilla as a contrasting yet equally flawed figure. "Gorgonzilla is the antagonist, but he also has traits of the monster king. No, Putin isn’t Gorgonzilla. Putin is a grotesque creation of dirt and fire, from a hell so deep that even its flames no longer illuminate the walls," Jelinek said. "Gorgonzilla is more like a world savior, clumsy because monsters are often large and misshapen. He watches humanity destroy the world while remaining isolated on his island. He claims to rule through his mind, while the king rules through election results — both likely deceive themselves. But in a world where climate activists and other engaged young people are mocked and despised, perhaps only monsters can save the world — or maybe they can't."