Elfriede Jelinek’s “Unter Tieren” premieres at Salzburg Festival

The world premiere of Elfriede Jelinek’s "Unter Tieren" (Under Animals) concluded the Salzburg Festival with standing ovations. Directed by Nicolas Stemann, the production serves as a biting critique of financial capitalism, dehumanization, and economic scandals.

In the performance, various animals—including pigeons, foxes, and pigs—take the stage to discuss themes of money, banking, and war. The play references several high-profile figures and institutions, such as investor René Benko and the collapse of the Signa Group, as well as various international banks.

A notable feature of the production is the integration of artificial intelligence. Toward the end of the nearly four-hour performance, AI models take over the stage, debating the directorial concept and generating live audio and visual projections, effectively replacing the human ensemble to drive Jelinek’s themes to their logical conclusion. The production is a co-production with the Burgtheater and is scheduled to be seen in Vienna starting in September.