Forty years after the publication of the groundbreaking exposé memoir Ganz Unten (Lowest of the Low), the undercover experience of German investigative journalist Günter Wallraff is transformed into a documentary opera in this UK premiere.
Disguised as a Turkish migrant worker in West Germany during the 1980s, Wallraff entered the hidden world of migrant labour for two years, experiencing and exposing the exploitation, racism and the harsh conditions faced by migrant workers. His revelations shocked Europe and are still strikingly relevant today.
Featuring music by renowned Turkish composer Tuluğ Tırpan, this docu-opera explores the everyday encounters and ethics of Wallraff’s undercover work, considering questions of cultural appropriation through the lens of today and investigating what drove Wallraff’s transformation.
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Running time
1 hour -
Age guidance
14+ -
Content warnings
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Discounts
Concessions Available
"Few people have done more to change the way postwar Germany looks at itself"
"It’s not only about Germany. There are lowest of the low in Turkey, in Britain, in the United States, in China, in Russia. And Günter Wallraff managed to open our eyes to them"– Tuluğ Tırpan, composer
Production photos from the 2025 Weimar production
The Company
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Mehmet Ergen
Director / Librettist
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Tuluğ Tırpan
Composer
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Simon Reade
Dramaturg
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Zeynep Anacan
Translator