Writer
Florian Stanek was born in 1988 in Vienna. He studied musical theatre at the University for Music and Performing Arts Vienna, MUK Wien (formerly: Konservatorium Wien). Subsequently he went on to study physical theatre at the prestigious École Internationale de Théâtre Jacques Lecoq in Paris. He participated in courses at the Academy of Poetry and Music SAGO under the artistic direction of Christof Stählin in Mainz and Wasungen.
His writing credits include: Plays, musical theatre libretti, song lyrics, sketches, translations, adaptations as well as dramaturgical advice for stage, film and television, with a focus on musical theatre and comedy.
Previous clients included: ORF, Graz Opera, Chemnitz Opera, Friedrichstadt-Palast Berlin, Kabarett Simpl in Vienna, Next Liberty Kinder- & Jugendtheater Graz, Theater Schwedt, Festival Kittsee, Metropol Wien and Konservatorium Wien. Details can be found in the CV or further down on this page.
He won multiple awards: At the play competition of the Komödie am Kurfürstendamm and the Heinz und Heide Dürr Stiftung 2022, at the MUT author competition of the Gärtnerplatztheater Munich (2016 & 2018), received a grant from the German Literature Fund (2020) and the German Musical Theatre Award 2018 as Best Leading Actor.
Selected Works
Frau Holle
Or: Weather is what you make of it!
Book & Lyrics: Florian Stanek | Music: Sebastian Brand
Musical. World premiere 2022 at the Graz Opera.
You can't change the weather? As if! The sisters Marie and Maria couldn't be more different: While one of them tries hard and caringly to please everyone, the other would rather do only what she feels like. Nothing is right for her mother anyway; the weaver does everything she can to bring more wealth and prestige to the family - and if her daughters have to spin for it or marry the 'Holz-Horst', the sleazy mayor of the village! Not very sunny prospects ... But when the sisters one after the other - before or by mistake - pass through a well into the magical world of Frau Holle, where cocks, bread and apples talk, snowflakes dance, you are showered with tasks, gold or bad luck and the weather (making) is on the agenda, the wind turns, because Maria and Marie become increasingly aware that the world (and the weather) does not only revolve around you, everything (weather) is somehow connected and you are not only allowed to 'rant' for what is important to you - but must!
" Fabulously beautiful family musical. (...) Stanek warns against apathy. But in an enlightening way and not with a pointing finger. (...) Lively arrangements by Sebastian Brand (...) A clever pleasure".
(Elisabeth Willgruber-Spitz, Kleine Zeitung)
"Florian Stanek (text) and Sebastian Brand (music) put the depletion we are making of the world and the (young) people who are standing up against it at the centre of their musical version of the fairy tale. Humorous accents are provided not only by Schütt and Rothhardt in the roles of the two sisters, but above all by Terry Chladt as their animal companion on their journey. (...) A lively musical evening that, for all its entertainment, also reminds us of our responsibility."
(Christoph Hartner, Kronenzeitung)
Isolation Club
Book & Lyrics: Florian Stanek | Music: Sebastian Brand
A chamber opera with beats for mezzo-soprano and bass-baritone
World premiere 2021 at the Chemnitz Opera
During lockdown, Hannah, a mid-20ies Youtube star, and Paul, who believes in conspiracy theories, meet on the internet. Unified by their search for realness in these unreal and digital times, they dream up a virtual club with electronic music. But the frontiers between dream and reality blur as the big question emerges: Does isolation really just happen in our heads?
This production received a grant by the German Literary Fonds in 2020.
"Florian Stanek's dualistic plot (...) is sure to find a place in the theatre chronicles: "Isolation Club" fits perfectly into the line of musical relationship plays such as Telemann's "Pimpinone", Wolf-Ferrari's "Susannen's Secret" or Harvey Schmidt's "I Do! I Do!". From these musical comedies, as we all know, one learns much about the trials of happiness, crises of sympathy and start-up difficulties, as well as the gender fluidity of earlier times." Concerti.de
"The subtitle chamber opera possibly runs the risk of scaring people away. Wrongly, because it is musical theatre without an access barrier for clubbers. The addition of "with beats" is meant seriously, but in turn should not scare off classical opera lovers for whom this might be rather noise. Overall, in fact, the result is an original novelty that is about the isolation of young people." NMZ
"A play that could hardly be more topical and whose thematic treatment is certainly always a kind of balancing act, not to slide into one or the other direction of opinion. Stanek has not done that in any scene. Rather, he has written a story of two young people that is so relatable to so many of us.“ Das Opernmagazin
"The composition by Stanek and Brandmeir, written for piano, violin, double bass and electronics, depicts this longing [for life] in a contrasting way. (...) Now one wishes for only one thing: a real performance with an audience, in the Chemnitz club transit." Opernwelt
Mature Ladies
Book & Lyrics: Florian Stanek | Music: Sebastian Brand
Premiere: Schwedt Theatre, 2021 (Brandenburg, Germany)
Before: Readings in Vienna, Berlin and Hamburg.
The three elderly friends Anna, Waltraud and Gerda try to solve their financial troubles and decide to start a sex hotline. A Youtube video makes them go viral, which leads to unexpected consequences for the ladies...
"The punchy plot and the rousing music captivate from the very beginning. (...) lovingly designed characters of the ladies by librettist Florian Stanek (...) [The premiere has] carried the audience to storms of applause. (...) It seems almost certain that the "Reifen Damen" will be discovered by other theater stages in Germany." (Eva-Martina Weyer, Märkische Oderzeitung)
"Tremendously funny but also thought-provoking. Stories about people older then 35 are much too rare." (Kevin Clarke, Berliner Zeitung)
"The audience enjoyed themselves and the reactions grew bigger as the ladies started to rehearse (for the hotline). Seeing the excerpt definitely whets the appetite for more!" (Andrea Martin, Kulturaspekte.de)
Radio report on the premiere in Schwedt:
Neues Jahr, neues Glück
Family Revue, Friedrichstadt-Palast Berlin 2022
Book: Florian Stanek
A time travel through the most beautiful songs of the last Young shows.
In this revue, the Young Ensemble of the Friedrichstadt-Palast looks back on past shows, but also looks forward with optimism. An enchanting and grandiose young evening with our young artists, in which the whole theatre hall is covered in snow at the end.
Premiere: January 2022
Krone der Erschöpfung
Comedy Revue
Kabarett Simpl, 2021
Contributions together with Jürgen Miedl
"The video conference sketch is great and the Simpl ensemble very playful. (...) The sketch wonderfully sums up how all the video conferencing during home office went." Kurier
"Refreshingly funny sketches about the Corona era. (...) A successful evening!" Falter
"The entertaining programme passes almost too quickly" Die Presse
Nestroy Awards TV Show 2020
Concept, Book, Lyrics
2020 was like a roller coaster ride for showpeople: The world was upside down. So why not set the Nestroy Austrian Theatre Awards Ceremony 2020 in the Vienna Prater amusement park? The show will be broadcast on Austrian national TV ORF III and will be presented by theatre stars Stefanie Reinsperger, Philipp Hochmair and ORF anchor Peter Fässlacher.
Le nozze di Figaro
Music: W.A. Mozart | Adaption: Florian Stanek
Kittsee Opera Festival 2018
"With the newly arranged "Marriage of Figaro", the Kittsee Festival has landed a small coup. (...) The omitting of the dry recitatives, which are regarded by many opera friends as a slowdown, strenghtens the theatrical effect as well as the topical comedic comments." (Josef Schmitt, Die Presse)
"Author and comedian Florian Stanek adapts the recitatives as funny, topical dialogue." (Florian Krenstetter, Kronenzeitung)
"Da Pontes Libretto was narrated by an apricot farmer of the region and illustrated with fruit and vegetable metaphors. Florian Staneks text entertained with wit, charm and topical commentary, for example on the Metoo movement." (Susanne Zobl, Kurier)
"Figaro delights" (orf.at)
"A smash hit." (Saskia Jahn, BVZ)
The imaginary invalid (Der eingebildet Kranke - Eine total kranke Revue)
Book & Lyrics: Florian Stanek | Music: Sebastian Brand
Winner Media Award & Audience Award, MUT-International Writers Competition 2016, Staatstheater am Gärtnerplatz, Munich.
"Bristling with humour and mocking musicality" - Die Kultur B5 aktuell
"The audience on opening night was thrilled" - Märkische Oderzeitung
"Much applause and excited cheering" - Klassikinfo.de
"There is jodeling, tapdancing, (...) a pleasure to watch!" - Märkische Oderzeitung Online
"Thunderous applause" - Münchner Abendzeitung
Schultz & Schirm Publishing, Vienna.
The Frightful Five
Book & Lyrics: Florian Stanek | Music: Sebastian Brand
Winner Audience Award, MUT International Writers Competition 2018, Staatstheater am Gärtnerplatz, Munich
Musical based on the book by Wolf Erlbruch. World premiere 2018 at the Next Liberty Children- and Youththeatre Graz.
"Florian Staneks text is full of humour. The music by Sebastian Brand adds tempo and panache." - Hannah Michaeler, Kronenzeitung
"Enchanting children's musical (...) the hit of the 18/19 season (...) best entertainment for the whole family" - Kronenzeitung, March 2020
"The play with a lot of tempo is about the great longings and the rousing "groove" of good friends (who) compete to see who is the ugliest and most fearsome animal of them all. Until the moment when a hyena with her laughter and views causes a lot of hullabaloo and the ultimate hit." - steiermark.orf.at
Carmen
Music: Georges Bizet | Adaption: Florian Stanek
Kittsee Opera Festival 2019
"Again this year, the concept is employed to cut most of the dialogue and keep the action going with the help of a narrator. This time the revived Bizet acts as opera guide: Johannes Glück scintillates with the hilarious satiric text-arrangements by Florian Stanek." - Josef Schmitt, Die Presse, 4.7.2019
"It has been made possible to enjoy the wonderful melodies - without too much dialogue. The spoken word has been cut short, because the ghost of Bizet, most charmingly portrayed by Johannes Glück, guides through the evening. Florian Stanek wrote the funny and sharp-witted text. This Bizet entertains, amuses, tells of his life and all about Carmen. A real treat!" - Kronenzeitung
"This year, the Kittsee Festival shows "Carmen" as an open air spectacle with humour. Under the direction of Dominik am Zehnhoff-Söns, the entertainer Johannes Glück welcomes the audience as Bizet and guides through the action with french charm. Already Johann Nestroy added topical stanzas to his songs. The Kittsee version of Carmen refers e.g. to the current smoking ban. (...) Entertaining, multifaceted and with musical drama." - Arabella Fenyves, Radio Klassik Stephansdom
"The german dialogue is written by Florian Stanek (...) Tasteful humour and contemporary bon mots." - Marcus Haimerl, IOCO.de
Kalahari Gemsen
Sketches
Nominated for the audience award of the Austrian Comedy Prize
TV sketch comedy starring Ramesh Nair and Angelika Niedetzky for ORF 1 (Austrian national television) and 3 SAT (German, Swiss, Austrian television)
"A celebration of slapstick-comedy" - Kleine Zeitung
Tea at Three (Tee um drei)
Book & Lyrics: Florian Stanek | Music: Sebastian Brand
Musical, world premiere in 2015 at Konservatorium Vienna.
Based on a true story. Joe, an unemployed London truckdriver, tries to escape the debt trap with an ingenious plan: he "sells" the London Ritz Hotel. Disguised as a real estate agent, he puts the hotel up for sale and collects one million pounds. But for how long can he go on until his deception is unmasked?
"Surprising debut (...) quirky story with a lot of laughs and versatile music" - Blickpunkt Musical
"Theater entertainment at its best!" - Musical Awakening
"Don't miss it. (...) Contemporary and with a critical undertone... enchanting!" - Musical & Co
Sample track: "Fraud & Sheik-Charleston"
Ein großes Gwirks
Comedy Revue
Kabarett Simpl, 2008-2009
Contributions together with Jürgen Miedl
Waiting for Romance
Or: Frühstück bei Navratil
Book
Musical with songs by Walter Jurmann. World premiere in 2010 at Konservatorium Vienna.
In a run-down cinema in Vienna, five unsatisfied movie fans come together. Suddenly the frontiers between film and reality seem to become blurred and the five go on a journey through movie history.
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