Stage and Costume
Nicola Minssen is a stage and costume designer living in Berlin, Germany, and Fredrikstad, Norway. She works internationally in opera, theater, film, animation and installative performance.
Nicola’s recent work has seen her design the stage and costumes for theatre and opera productions directed by Philipp J. Neumann, Kirsten Burger, Alvaro Schoeck and others. With Igor Pison she collaberated in the Premiere of Ekvinocji at the Croatian National Opera in Zagreb. In film she has worked with Jules Herrmann and Godehard Giese on various projects, including the feature film Liebmann which won several awards at festivals around the world.
As an associate designer she has worked extensively with the artist Alexander Polzin. They have collaborated on projects and world premieres at the German Oper am Rhein Düsseldorf , the Easter Festival in Salzburg, the Poly Theater in Bejing, the Teatro Real in Madrid and the Belgian National Opera La Monnaie/De Munt in Brussels.
Premiere „Audience by Vaclav Havel“ / ODA Theater, Pristina, Kosovo / play in three acts by Jeton Neziraj / Director: Agon Myftari / Stage and Costume Design: Nicola Minssen / Music: Tomor Kuci
Premiere „Der Fischer und seine Frau“ / Rheinisches Landestheater Neuss, Germany / theater devise with puppets by Sarah Wissner and Lutz Großmann, based on the fairy tale by Brothers Grimm / Director: Lutz Großmann / Stage and Costume design: Nicola Minssen / Play: Sarah Wissner / Dramaturgy: Eva Veiders
Premiere „Peer Gynt“ / Theater Solothurn, Switzerland / Drama in five acts by Henrik Ibsen / Director: Katharina Rupp / Stage Design: Karin Fritz / Collaboration Stage Design: Nicola Minssen / Costume Design: Tanja Liebermann
Premiere „Jenseits Zugehörigkeit“ / Theaterwerkstatt Spandau Berlin, Germany / Theater Devise with Kirsten Burger / Director: Kirsten Burger / Costume Design: Nicola Minssen / Video Design: Ze de Paiva, Kathleen Kuhnato / Sound Design: Olaf Giesbrecht
Premiere „Tristan und Isolde“ / Belgian National Opera „La Monnaie / De Munt“ Brussels / Opera in three acts by Richard Wagner / Musical director: Alain Altinoglu / Stage director: Ralf Pleger / Stage Design: Alexander Polzin / Associate designer: Nicola Minssen / Costume Design: Wojciech Dziedzic / Light Design: John Torres
Premiere „Der Zauberer von Oz“ / Theater Erfurt, Germany / Fairytale opera in two acts by Pierangelo Valtinoni / Musical Director: Samuel Bächli / Stage Director: Philipp Neumann / Stage and Costume Design: Nicola Minssen
Premiere „Das Geheimnis der schwarzen Spinne“ (The Secret of the Black Spider) / Oper Leipzig at Schaubühne Lindenfels, Germany / Opera for children in three acts after the novella by Jeremias Gotthelf / Director and Stage: Philipp Neumann / Costume: Nicola Minssen
Premiere „Sacre“ at Gerhart Hauptmann Theater Görlitz, Germany / Dance Evening in two parts by Igor Strawinsky and Luciano Berio / Choreography: Dan Pelleg and Marko Weigert / Stage and Costum: Nicola Minssen
Premiere „Peer Gynt from Kosovo“ / Quendra Multimedia Prishtina, Kosovo / Play by Jeton Neziraj / Director: Agon Myftari / Stage and light: Nicola Minssen
Premiere „An der Arche um acht“ / Theater Erfurt, Germany / Theater in two acts by Ulrich Hub / Director and Stage: Philipp Neumann / Costume: Nicola Minssen
Premiere „A Long Days Journey Into Night“ / Theater Ansbach, Germany / Drama in four acts by Eugene O ́Neill / Director: Alvaro Schoeck / Stage and Costume: Nicola Minssen
Premiere „Emoji“ / Theater Varianta Berlin, Germany / Theater Devise with Kirsten Burger / Director: Kirsten Burger / Stage and Costume: Nicola Minssen
Premiere „Ekvinocij“ / Croatian Nationoal Theater Zagreb, Croatia Musical Drama in 3 acts by Ivan Brkanovic / Director: Igor Pison / Stage: Nicola Minssen / Costume: Evelin Arweck
Premiere „El Publico“ / Teatro Real Madrid, Spain Assignment composition by Teatro Real to Mauricio Sotelo Musical director: Pablo Heras-Casado / Stage director: Robert Castro / Stage designer: Alexander Polzin / Associate designer: Nicola Minssen / Costume: Wojciech Dziedzic
Premiere „Fidelio“ / Tiroler Festspielen Erl, Austria / Opera in two acts by Ludwig van Beethoven Musical Director: Gustav Kuhn / Director: Sommer Ulrickson/Alexander Polzin Stage: Alexander Polzin / Associate designer: Nicola Minssen Costume: Wojciech Dziedzic
Premiere „Peer Gynt“ / Grieghallen, Bergen, Norway / Stage Music in five acts following the play by Henrik Ibsen / Musical Director: Eyvind Aaland / Visualisation: Alexander Polzin / Set Design: Nicola Minssen / Animation and Video: Claudia Rohrmoser
Premiere „Station G“ / Ernst Barlach Theater Güstrow, Germany / Theater Devise by Kirsten Burger / Stage and Costume: Nicola Minssen
Premiere „Neuland“ / Theater an der Glocksee Hannover, Germany / Theater Devise by Lena Kussmann, Jonas Vietzke / Director: Lena Kussmann / Stage and Costume: Nicola Minssen
Premiere „Hase Hase“ / Freilichtspiele Schwäbisch Hall, Germany / Comedie by Colline Serreau / Director: Lena Kussmann / Stage: Ulrike Glandorf / Costume: Freya Schackat / Adaption Stage and Costume for Hall: Nicola Minssen
Set and Styling for „Liebmann“ / Shooting in France / feature movie / Director: Jules Herrmann / Main Character: Godehard Giese / premiered at Berlinale 2016
Premiere „Lohengrin“ / Teatro Real Madrid, Spain / Opera in three acts by Richard Wagner / Director: Lukas Hemleb / Stage: Alexander Polzin / artistic collaboration stage: Nicola Minssen / Costume: Wojciech Dziedzic
Premiere „Parsifal“ / Poly Theater Bejing, China in cooperation with Semperoper Dresden, Germany, and Easter Festival Salzburg, Austria / Opera in three acts by Richard Wagner / Director: Michael Schulz / Stage and Costume: Alexander Polzin / Artistic collaboration stage and costume: Nicola Minssen
Premiere „La Conquista de Mexico“ / Teatro Real Madrid, Spain / Opera in four acts by Wolfgang Riehm / Director: Pierre Audí / Stage: Alexander Polzin / Artistic collaboration stage: Nicola Minssen / Costume: Wojciech Dziedzic
Premiere „Shockheaded Peter“ / Freilichtspiele Schwäbisch Hall, Germany / Junk Opera by the Tiger Lillies / Musical director: Ralf Siedhof / scenical Director: Sommer Ulrickson / Stage and Costume: Nicola Minssen
Premiere „Parsifal“ / Easter Festival Salzburg, Austria / in cooperation with Semperoper Dresden and Polytheater Beijing, China / Opera in three acts by Richard Wagner / Director: Michael Schulz / Stage and Costume: Alexander Polzin / artistic collaboration stage and costume: Nicola Minssen
Premiere „B öse Schafe“ / Mikrokosmische Raumforschung Berlin, Germany / Performance for a singer, an actress and a puppet player after the novel by Katja Lange-Müller / Director: Alvaro Schoeck / Stage and Costume: Nicola Minssen
Premiere „Mörder Kaspar Brand“ / Oper am Rhein, Düsseldorf, Germany / commissioned opera in three acts by Anno Schreier / Director and Stage: Philipp Neumann / Costume: Carolin Schreiber / Artistic collaboration stage: Nicola Minssen
Premiere „Saj Razumete“ („Verstehen Sie bitte recht“) / Slovenian National Theater Triest, Italy / Play after the novel by Claudio Magris / Director: Igor Pison / Stage and Costume: Nicola Minssen
Premiere „Never mind“ / Sophiensäle Berlin, Germany / Text by Giovanni Frazetto and Sommer Ulrickson / Director: Sommer Ulrickson / Stage: Alexander Polzin, Nicola Minssen / Costume: Nicola Minssen
Premiere „Ferne Nähe“ / Festspielhaus Hellerau, Germany in collaboration with Festspiele `Tonlagen` / world premiere / Composition: David Smutny / Director: Sommer Ulrickson / Stage : Alexander Polzin, Nicola Minssen / Costume: Nicola Minssen
Premiere „Die 21 Stufen“ / Freilichtspiele Hall, Germany / Play by Alfred Hitchcock / Director: Thorsten Schlenger / Stage: Nicola Minssen / Costume: Christine B.
Styling and directors assistance for „Die Geschichte vom Astronauten“ / Shooting on Mallorca, Spain / feature movie / Director: Godehard Giese / Production: Jules Herrmann / Premiered at Max Ophüls Festival Saarbrücken, Germany
Premiere „La Pagina en Blanco“ / Teatro Real Madrid, Spain / world premiere commissioned by Teatro Real / Composition by Pilar Jurado / Director: David Herrmann / Stage: Alexander Polzin / Costume: Katharina Witt / Artistic collaboration stage: Nicola Minssen
Premiere „Kurs:Liebe“ / Freilichtspiele Hall, Germany / Theater Devise by Sommer Ulrickson / Stage and Costume: Nicola Minssen
Premiere „Lovesick“ / Neuköllner Oper Berlin, Germany / Theater devise by Sommer Ulrickson / Stage: Alexander Polzin, Nicola Minssen / Costume: Nicola Minssen
Premiere „Rigoletto“ / Deutsche Oper am Rhein Düsseldorf Duisburg, Germany / Opera in three acts by Giuseppe Verdi / Director: David Herrmann / Stage: Alexander Polzin / Costume: Christina Nyffeler / Artistic collaboration stage: Nicola Minssen
Premiere „Dom Sebastién“ / State Opera house Nuremberg, Germany / Opera in five acts by Gaetano Donizetti / Composition by Pilar Jurado / Director: David Herrmann / Stage and Costume: Christof Hetzer / Artistic collaboration stage and Costume: Nicola Minssen
ROCKOesch at the 100grad Festival at Hebbel am Ufer Berlin, Germany / Composition: Stefan Paul / Concept: Michael von zu Mühlen & ROCKOesch / Stage, Costume and Characters: ROCKOesch, Michael von zu Mühlen und Stefan Paul
Assistance modelling and workshop delivery preparation for „Orlando Furioso“ at Theater Basel, Switzerland / Opera in three acts by Antonio Vivaldi / Director: Barry Kosky / Stage and Costume: Esther Bialas
Premiere „La Boheme“ / Theater Basel, Switzerland / Opera in four pictures by Giacomo Puccini / Director: David Herrmann / Stage and Costume: Christof Hetzer / Artistic collaboration stage and Costume: Nicola Minssen
Premiere „HypOp4 - Happy hour“ / Staatsoper Berlin, Germany / theater device by Adriana Altaras / Stage and Costume: Yashi Tabassomi / Artistic collaboration stage and Costume: Nicola Minssen
ROCKOesch at the Easter Festival of the Maxim Gorki Theater Berlin, Germany / Concept, Stage, Costume, Performance: ROCKOesch
Premiere „Sonnenstund hat Fuss am Mond“ / 100grad Festival Berlin, Germany / Theater Devise by Ann Sophie Heier / Stage and Costume: Nicola Minssen
Diploma „The Skin On Our Teeth“ by Thornton Wilder / University Of Arts Berlin, Germany / Conception: Nicola Minssen
Studiy Stage Design / University of arts / Class of Hartmut Meyer
Premiere „La Revoltosa“ / Hebbel am Ufer Berlin, Germany / Zarzuela by Ruperto Chapí / Musical director: Arno Waschk / Director: Alvaro Schoeck / Stage and Costume: Nicola Minssen
Premiere „Belgrad-Berlin“ / HAU3 Berlin, Germany / Theater Devise by Predrag Kalaba / Festival beyond belonging - AUTOPUT AVRUPA / Stage and Costume: Nicola Minssen
Study Stage Design / Akademí for Scenekunst Fredrikstad, Norway
Filmpremiere „Nervesalad“ / Kunst - go Kulturverksted Vaterland, Norway / Director: Johan Sydseter / Set Design: Nicola Minssen, Jasmin Wiesli and Severin Urwyler / Costume: Nicola Minssen
Premiere „Der Tribun“ / HAU2 Berlin, Germany / Short Opera by Maurizio Kagel / Musical Director: Arno Waschk / Director: Alvaro Schoeck / Stage and Costume: Nicola Minssen
Premiere „Belgrad-Berlin“ / Volksbühne Berlin, Germany / Theater Devise by Predrag Kalaba / Stage and Costume: Nicola Minssen
Premiere „Show“ / Unit Berlin, Germany / Theater Devise by Timur Isik / Stage and Costume: Nicola Minssen
Premiere „Twelfth Night, or What You Will“ / Unit Berlin, Germany / Theater play by William Shakespeare / Stage: Nicola Minssen / Costume Design: Sandra Klaus
Study Stage and Costume Desgn at Mozarteum Salzburg, Austria / Class of Herbert Kapplmüller
Assistance „Orphée“ / Studio Stage of the University / Composition by Philipp Glass / Stage: Fabian Vodel
Premiere „Wir sind Helden“ / Komödie Augsburg, Germany / Play after the novel by Thomas Brussig / Director: Axel Sichrovsky / Stage and Costume: Margit Wiegand, Nicola Minssen / He: Sebastian Müller
Internship and assistance at Stadttheater Augsburg and Prinzregententheater München, Germany
Studies of law at the university of Augsburg
born in Berlin