Tom Volkers is already looking forward to stepping into action as Winnetou at the first Swiss Karl May open-air play in Engelberg.
The German writer Karl May is one of the most successful authors with 200 million books to his name. On July 15, the Winnetou 1 premiere will be performed live for the first time in time for Karl May's 175th birthday.
26 open-air performances are planned in the monastery village of Engelberg. These include nine afternoon and 17 evening performances. The leading role of Winnetou will be played by German actor Tom Volkers. Christoph Kottenkamp appears alongside him and as his blood brother Old Shatterhand.Tom Volkersdid not answer the questions by smoke signal, but still knows what it is like to slip into the role of Winnetou.
How did you come to play the role of Winnetou?
I was already fascinated by the Karl May books and films as a boy in the former GDR. But I never thought I would play the leading role on the Karl May stage at the Oberwald reservoir straight afterwards.
How did you feel as the up-and-coming Winnetou?
Great. I was supposed to take over from Pierre Brice in 2000, but they chose Erol Sander. That was frustrating even for me as a former decathlon athlete.
How fit do you have to be for Winnetou?
Extremely fit. I had broken bones, both hands broken, both shoulders broken. I'm glad that I'm still in such good shape today.
What else do you do for a living?
I've been a leadership coach for ten years and do introspection on myself, but also on other people. I also see Winnetou differently today.
Why did you choose Engelberg as the lead actor and co-producer?
I've been living in Switzerland for ten years now. After an intensive search, Engelberg was ideal because of the infrastructure. And the municipality and the tourism association are also fully behind us.
Watch the trailer for Winnetou 1 here:
