Desert Flower

The Deutsches Theater München presents an event of Manfred Hertlein Veranstaltungs GmbH

The success story from Somalia

The autobiographical bestseller novel Desert Flower by Waris Dirie touched countless people worldwide. And also the musical, which had its world premiere at the Theater St. Gallen in 2020, was euphorically celebrated by audiences and critics. The story of the Somali nomad girl who became a supermodel in Europe and used her fame to help the girls of her homeland achieve education and self-determination has been wonderfully adapted for the stage by Gil Mehmert (book) and Uwe Fahrenkrog-Petersen (music). In October, we will present Desert Flower as an exclusive German guest performance.

Congenial duo: Gil Mehmert and Uwe Fahrenkrog-Petersen

Uwe Fahrenkrog-Petersen is responsible for the music of the musical Desert Flower. The German, who worked with Nena and composed hits like Irgendwie, irgendwo, irgendwann or 99 Luftballons, is one of the most successful composers and music producers in his country. For a long time, he also worked in the USA, where he was a film composer in Hollywood, among other things. Since 2012, he has been working in the field of musicals and composed his first own work, Desert Flower. The book was written by the director and screenwriter Gil Mehmert, who has worked for renowned stages in Europe as well as for film. His works include the musical Das Wunder von Bern (The Miracle of Bern).

Autobiography by Waris Dirie

The story of the nomad girl who flees forced marriage from Somalia and becomes a top model in London, but also a committed campaigner against female genital mutilation, touched people all over the world. Waris Dirie’s autobiographical book Desert Flower became a bestseller in the 1990s, and the film version in 2009 also met with a great response. And the musical is also a plea that it is worthwhile not to simply take one’s fate for granted, but to fight against it.

Support for the Desert Flower Foundation

By attending the musical Desert Flower, you also support Waris Dirie’s Desert Flower Foundation. One euro per ticket goes as a donation to the organization. Every 11 seconds, a girl is circumcised somewhere in the world. One in three dies after this brutal procedure and many suffer the painful consequences for the rest of their lives. Waris Dirie has declared war on this cruel ritual, to which she herself fell victim as a little girl, by establishing her foundation in 2002. You can find more information and the possibility to donate here.

Trailer