Piet Klocke

After graduating from high school, Piet Klocke studied—among other subjects—psychology, pedagogy, German studies, and philosophy, before turning his attention to music and, later, the theater. After a period as a guitarist in various funk and soul bands in Amsterdam, he worked as an actor at the *Städtische Bühnen Essen* (Municipal Theaters of Essen) in the early 1980s, subsequently founding the avant-garde music theater ensemble *Kamikaze Orkester*. There, he developed his well-known artistic persona, the absent-minded Professor Schmitt-Hindemith—a character characterized by absurd leaps of thought, unfinished sentences, and improvisational monologues.

In addition to his stage work, Klocke participated in various musical projects, including the bands *Gesundes Volksempfinden*, *The Tanzdiele*, and *Die Tanzdiebe*. Furthermore, he composed music for numerous film and television productions, including the films *Der Leibwächter* and *Peng! Du bist tot!* by Adolf Winkelmann. As a cabaret artist, he gained widespread public recognition primarily through television programs such as *RTL Samstag Nacht* and *7 Tage, 7 Köpfe*. His artistic role models include Werner Finck and Loriot.

Klocke also appeared regularly as an actor in film productions, including *Das fliegende Klassenzimmer*, *Der Räuber Hotzenplotz*, and the short film *Mondmann*. Alongside his stage shows and readings, he has been releasing his own music and spoken-word productions since the 1990s. In 2025, he performed alongside Horst Evers in the program *Lies meinen Text*. For 2026, he announced the stage program *Wo bitte soll das alles nur...?* as well as the musically accompanied reading series *Am Hofe König Crimsons*.