Rosa Mangold impresses as the young Pope in the Fulda Castle Theater!

Rosa Mangold impresses as the young Pope in the Fulda Castle Theater!

On Thursday evening, June 14, 2025, the curtain rose on the eagerly awaited new production of the musical “The Pope” in the Fulda Castle Theater. Rosa Mangold, recently celebrated as a promising young star, took on the role of Johanna as a child and immediately made the audience sit up and take notice. How East Hesse News reports, Rosa impressed with her stage presence and her sovereignty and experienced pure joy in her performance after the first scenes.

The story, based on the novel by Donna W. Cross, tells of Johanna, who in the 9th century defends herself against the patriarchal structures of her time and ultimately becomes pope. The new production brings fresh musical arrangements as well as additional songs that give the story new facets. The new song “So Much More” in particular illustrates Johanna’s insatiable desire for knowledge and self-realization. This also speaks to an insight that culture spring highlights the central message of the piece: strong self-confidence and commitment to women's rights.

An emotional experience

The director was Gil Mehmert, who uses new book revisions and a loving attention to the characters to create an emotional journey that captivates the audience. The leading actress Sabrina Weckerlin brings Johanna to life and not only shows a passionate performance, but also a remarkable vocal development. culture spring emphasizes that the role of Marioza, played by Femke Soetenga, is given more profile, which benefits the entire production. Mathias Edenborn's solo “A dream without beginning and end” is particularly touching, giving the audience goosebumps.

• Rosa Mangold spielt Johanna im Kindesalter.
• Premiere der Neuinszenierung: 14. Juni 2025.
• Neuer Song „So viel mehr“.
• Emotionale Darstellungen verschiedener Charaktere, darunter Johannas Mutter, gespielt von With Gudrun, und Johannas Vater.

Social relevance and gender roles

An interesting topic that revolves around “The Pope” is gender roles and their changes. Judith Butler's theory of gender and identity as selectable roles that can be taken on or off depending on the context is reflected in the play's theme. Theoblog points out that the production offers a platform to experiment with these roles and captivate the audience by breaking down old clichés. This could also enrich the perception of the characters in the theater, making the play further relevant.

The audience in Fulda was enthusiastic and applauded a lot, especially for the promising Rosa Mangold, whose performance brought a touching depth to the character of Johanna. The path to female achievement in the theater appears to have been paved, and The Pope is another significant step in that direction.