A musical for all ages!
Middle school… it’s awkward, it’s unpredictable, and for Greg Heffley, it’s all about surviving the social ladder! Watch as Jeff Kinney’s beloved character leaps from the pages of his cartoon diary onto the Captivate Bärn stage in DIARY OF THE WIMPY KID – THE MUSICAL.
With the dialogue in German and the songs in their original English, the catchy songs, heartfelt moments and all the humour that fans love make this musical a MUST-SEE this December for kids, parents, and anyone who’s ever survived middle school. Don’t miss this fun-filled adaptation of the story that has captured hearts worldwide, hitting the stage in Bern this December!
Leading the cast as Greg Heffley is Benjamin McKinley. Benjamin began acting in a local drama class at the age of four, and has played Mike Teavee in Charlie and the Chocolate Factory and Homer in the Iliad.
Playing Greg’s fictional father and younger brother, Frank Heffley and Manny Heffley, are Benjamin’s real-life father and younger brother, Richard and James McKinley. James has also been acting in a local drama class since he was in kindergarten, and Richard’s passion for singing and the stage has spanned decades. This is Richard’s third musical with Captivate Bärn.
Rowley (Rupert) Jefferson, Greg’s best friend, is played by Friedrich von Bülow, and Chirag Gupta is played by Arja Zioerjen.
Rodricka (Roderick) Heffley, Greg’s sister, is played by Ida Kling, and Susan Heffley, Greg’s mom, is played by Nicole Hornwall, a trained musical actress and teacher. Nicole teaches music, theater, and dance courses for children and young people at the Weltenbummler Atelier in Bern. She also played the Baker’s Wife in last year’s production of Red Riding Hood, and is the real-life mother of the actor playing Fregley.
Patty Farrell, Greg’s life-long nemesis, is played by Helena Sigrist, who starred as Little Red in last year’s Christmas-time musical, Red Riding Hood.
Fregley, the most awkward kid in school, is played by Ella Hornwall. Ella sings in the Bühnen Bern children’s choir and has already participated in several major productions. She doesn’t just sing on stage, but also in every free minute she has!
Fregley’s mom is played by Mary McKinley, the real-life mother of the actors playing Greg and Manny. Mary has never sung on stage before, except for karaoke, and she especially loves the regular karaoke events held by Captivate Bärn.
Joshie, the super-star who teaches good manners, is played by Anaëlle Reber. Anaëlle has been acting for nine years and has attended acting school.
Other important characters and members of the ensemble are Tobias Ochsner, Cleo Bur, Sebastioano Sopresi, Mila Tscherrig, as well as Olivia Knecht and her brother Alois Knecht.
Jeff Kinney was born in 1971 in Maryland, USA and discovered his passion for cartooning while attending the University of Maryland in the early 1990s. During college, Jeff created a comic strip called Igdoof for the campus newspaper, which inspired his dream of becoming a professional cartoonist.
After graduating, Jeff faced challenges in getting his comic strip syndicated. Undeterred, he began jotting down ideas for Diary of a Wimpy Kid in 1998, intending to turn it into a book. Over the course of six years, he developed the story and published it in daily instalments on Funbrain.com.
In 2006, Jeff signed a multi-book deal with Harry N. Abrams, Inc., bringing Diary of a Wimpy Kid to print. The first book was released in April 2007, quickly becoming a New York Times bestseller. Two years later, in 2009, Jeff was named one of Timemagazine’s 100 Most Influential People in the World.
In addition to his work as an author, Jeff founded Poptropica.com in 2007, where he continues to serve as the creative and editorial director. He currently lives in southern Massachusetts where he is preparing to open his own bookstore.
Red Riding Hood: The Musical by Pippa Cleary is a fresh, fun, and heartwarming reimagining of the beloved fairy tale. Filled with catchy songs, lively choreography, and plenty of humor, the story follows Red on her journey through the woods—where she encounters quirky characters, unexpected twists, and the infamous Wolf. Balancing suspense with laughter, the musical explores themes of courage, cleverness, and community, making it a magical theater experience for audiences of all ages.
The Swiss premiere of Red Riding Hood: The Musical hit the stage at KUNST- UND KULTURHAUS VISAVIS in old town Bern in December 2024 directed by Robb Correll and choreographed by Anina Rosa. With an amazing, local cast, both amateur and semi-professional, Murielle Townsend and Helena Sigrist (both as Little Red), Lilly-Beth Bushell, Jamie Townsend, Richard McKinley, Nicole Hornwall, and Melanie Gasser put on five shows in all English and five more shows in Swiss-German/German. Each performance was a total sell out! This lively production made audiences laugh and, yes, cry, and will be fondly remembered by all.
Captivate Bärn’s second ever production, On Your Bike by Joe Venable and Ben James, played to full houses in June 2024. The show is a five-star, award-winning, original musical about love, labour and leftover pizza. Delivering food you don’t get to eat is hungry work. Outside a chicken shop, a group of delivery riders wait for orders, trying to figure out life and love while they do. Threatened by nosy landlords, angry exes, and even their own employer, EATSAROO, they realise they have to group together and stand up for themselves. But fighting a billion-dollar algorithm isn’t that easy.
The show was brilliantly choreographed by Anina Rosa and directed by Robb Correll. Performers Anke Breihan, Jeremy Wright, Sebastian Coleman and Victoria Bucher sang and danced their way into the hearts of very receptive audiences and made this show as authentically touching as it is witty and up-lifting.
Winner of Best Musical at the Edinburgh Fringe, 2021 (MusicalTheatreReview.com).
‘Raucously witty to its core...***** (Binge Fringe), ‘A riotous delight of a show’ ***** (Musical Theatre Review) ‘Finger-clicking good‘ ***** (Theatre Weekly)
Photos by Keira Correll
Our first ever production as Captivate Bärn, the Swiss premiere of Medea the Musical by Hayley Canham, was an immense success, with a run from 23 December 2023 – 24 January 2024. All of the last performances were sold out and we had standing ovations after every show.
Renowned Swiss singer, director, and producer, Simon Burkhalter, saw the show in the second week and had this to say about it:
“What Captivate has brought to the stage in collaboration with the Kunst- und Kulturhaus VISAVIS is simply magnificent. The gutsy play performed by four virtuoso actors and a band in a creatively staged production with a strong focus on the characters, left nothing to be desired.
The quality of the performance can easily compete with renowned productions in London’s West End. I left the performance moved on all levels and hope that such outstanding productions with excellent performers will continue in the future to be staged in Bern’s most beautiful underground theater.”
Photos by Keira Correll
English (UK) 
Deutsch (Schweiz)