The highest open-air theatre in Europe

After ten years the play "THE MATTERHORN STORY" by Livia Anne Richard will return to Europe's highest open-air stage in summer 2025. 160 years after the first ascent of the Matterhorn, audiences can look forward to a new production of this captivating and moving story this summer. The play will once again be performed on the Riffelberg at 2,600 metres above sea level. The story of the first ascent of the Matterhorn can be  seen as the starting point of tourism in Zermatt and symbolises the pioneering spirit that is still alive in Zermatt today. The languages spoken are Valais German, German and English. The play is designed so that knowledge of one language is sufficient to follow the plot.

 

A brief historical review

 

Zermatt, 13 July 1865: at dawn a rope team of seven men sets off  along the Hörnligrat in the direction of the Matterhorn. Their ambitious goal is the summit of the Hore, the only four thousander of the Swiss Alps which has not yet been conquered. On the following day, on 14 July1865 the men are really on the very top of this distinctive mountain. Their joy is great – but unfortunately too early… This day will, together with Edward Whymper, go down in history.

 

 New staging with music concept by Wintershome and with live piano

 

In her play «THE MATTERHORN STORY» Livia Anne Richard emphazises  the mostly unknown aspects of this dramatic story. She shows the real heroes who were then not in the limelight, but were on the contrary vilified. The play inspired the audience in the summer of 2015 – at the 150th anniversary of the first ascent of the Matterhorn and evoked the attention of international media. Now this unique nature scenery on the Riffelberg will once again become the stage for a story based on facts. The author and director from Bern has revised the play for the staging of 2025, but «without changing its DNA», as she says. There are, however, several new characters in the play and there is a new music concept. It is realized by the local band Wintershome, in cooperation with the young Bernese pianist Elia Gasser, who will improvise live on stage every evening. Another novelty lies in the fact that the Bernese director Lilian Naef will for the first time co-direct with Richard.