Rathen (dpa/sn) - The Felsenbühne Rathen is getting a prominent guest for the festival next year: Legendary actor Gojko Mitić will then be on stage for the family production "Peter Pan". The actor, known as the "Chefindianer" of Defa, will take on the role of the chief on the fictional island of Neverland, the state theaters of Saxony announced on Wednesday. The play about the boy Peter Pan, who does not want to grow up, will open the festival on May 13th.

The romantic opera "Der Freischütz" is being prepared as the second premiere for the Naturtheater - a classic in Rathen, which has been staged there in eight productions since 1956. The program is rounded off by four productions from the past season: the fairy tale "The Cold Heart", the musical "West Side Story", the children's play "Pettersson and Findus" and the play "Jedermann".

There is also an animal innovation: From now on, the stage in Saxon Switzerland has its own horse relay. According to the information, the horses Titus, Rémusz, Tommy and Jackson have already gained stage experience at the Störtebeker Festival in Ralswiek. Since September they have been living on a horse farm in Radebeul, where they are being prepared for their debut on the Felsenbühne.

Last year, the theater counted more than 50,000 visitors with 49 performances. The stage had been renewed in the two previous years for a good 18 million euros. The coming season starts on May 13th and runs until September 10th. According to the information, 76 performances are planned.