Volker Pispers

Volker Pispers (born 18 January 1958) is a German kabarett artist who is well known for his political satire. His comic style includes drastic and sometimes sarcastic commentary on current events, especially about the political situation in Germany but also about the politics of the United States since 9/11 and during the Iraq War.
Biography
After his Abitur, Pispers moved to Bonn and later Münster where he studied English, theology and pedagogy. From 1979 to 1980 he worked as a foreign language assistant in England, where he developed a liking for black comedy.
After returning to West Germany, he worked as a member of several children's theatre and cabaret arrangements. His first solo programme, Kabarette sich, wer kann (a pun on "rette sich, wer kann" – "save yourself if you can"), first opened in 1983. In the same year he finished his education and started working as an English teacher. In 1990, he became a member of the ensemble of the Kom(m)ödchen in Düsseldorf and later on its artistic director. However, in 1991, he gave up this position to tour Germany with his solo programmes. Over the 1990s he received a number of awards and became a well-known figure in German political cabaret.
In 2002 he first went on tour with his programme ...bis neulich (literal translation: "...until recently" - meaning: "until we meet again"), which was originally conceived as a Best of his twenty years in cabaret. It was extremely successful and made him a lot more popular, especially due to his harsh criticism of the George W. Bush administration and the Iraq War. Due to its huge success, Pispers continued to tour Germany with the programme, which he frequently updated according to recent developments, until 2015. He has also become a staunch critic of unregulated capitalism.
He currently lives in Düsseldorf-Oberkassel in the German state of North Rhine-Westphalia.
Works
Books
1996: Volkerkunde
2001: Gefühlte Wirklichkeiten
2003: Volkerkunde (Anniversary Edition)
CDs
1995: Frisch gestrichen
1996: Ein Wort ergab das andere
1999: Damit müssen Sie rechnen (2 CDs)
2000: Update 2000 – Damit müssen Sie rechnen (2 CDs)
2002: … bis neulich (2 CDs)
2004: … bis neulich 2004 … aktualisierte Fassung (2 CDs)
2007: Kabarett Sampler: 3. Politischer Aschermittwoch (2 CDs)
2007: … bis neulich 2007… live in Bonn (2 CDs)
2009: Volker Pispers live 2009 (2 CDs)
2010: … bis neulich 2010 … aktualisierte Fassung (2 CDs)
2012: … live 2012 (2 CDs)
2014: … bis neulich 2014 (2 CDs)
2016: … bis neulich – Der letzte Abend (2 CDs)
DVDs
2004: live in Berlin. … bis neulich (Live in Berlin)
2007: … bis neulich 2007… live in Bonn
2010: … bis neulich 2010
2014: … bis neulich 2014
Awards
1988 – (Mönchen)-Gladbach satire award
1989 – Kulturpreis der Sparkassen-Kulturstiftung Rheinland (Sponsorship award)
1996 – Mindener Stichling; Deutscher Kleinkunstpreis (cabaret category)
1998 – Memminger Maul; Kleinkunstmaske Garching; Gaul von Niedersachsen
2000 – AZ-Stern des Jahres of Abendzeitung aus München
2003 – Obernburger Ehrenmühlstein
2004 – Bocholter Pepperoni
2005 – Cabaret award "Knurrhahn" sponsored by the city of Wilhelmshaven; Deutscher Kabarettpreis (Main award)
2006 – Bayerischer Kabarettpreis (Main award)
2007 – Morenhovener Lupe
References
External links
Homepage of Volker Pispers
Volker Pispers at con anima publishers
1958 births
Living people
People from Mönchengladbach
Kabarettists
German cabaret performers
German male comedians