“MATHIAS RICHLING” by Kulturbesen in Scene 64

**“Unmasked!” Political Investigations** Richling drops the masks. And picks them up, for us. And this dance of masks leads us straight into the cabaret artist’s turbulent life, in which parody and caricature play a dominant role. Critics rightly write after attending his stage performances that Richling needs no masks or disguises to caricature a prominent figure. Richling transforms himself into every character through his own creative power; on TV, the masking enhances the visual effect. Art is one thing. That Richling also has a life beyond art is proven by the colorful, jumbled notes from the margins of life that reflect the cabaret artist’s daily existence, caught between genius and madness. It’s clear that a man whom even a pope once kissed on the cheek, and to whom the Queen once waved favorably during her visit to Stuttgart. And that some politicians of every stripe feel they’ve been portrayed all too accurately. And that the average fan confuses Richling with the originals he parodies. Mathias Richling with and without a mask. Live!