Catarina oder Von der Schönheit, Faschisten zu töten - Premiere *ausverkauft*
Catarina oder von der Schönheit, Faschisten zu töten
Tiago Rodrigues
Translated into German by Niki Graça
Premiere: October 17, 2026
In this Portuguese family, there is a summer tradition: every year, on the anniversary of the murder of agricultural worker Catarina Eufémia on May 19, 1954, by henchmen of the Salazar dictatorship, a fascist is killed. The family gathering begins with food and drink and ends with the shooting of the offender who was kidnapped beforehand. Apparently, injustice is being avenged here. When the daughter refuses to continue the ritual because she no longer believes in the logic of retribution and doubts that violence is a legitimate means of defending freedom and democracy, a complex political and ethical debate begins within the family.
The play raises weighty questions that touch directly on the realities of our society. What is a fascist today, and how does fascist rhetoric work? What does it actually mean to “act politically” today? What does a robust democracy have to offer if resistance is not to turn into violence? Are we allowed to break the rules of democracy when seeking other/better ways to defend it? Isn’t the central challenge today precisely “to learn to fight fascism in a non-fascist way,” as Eva von Redecker puts it?
And what timely, forward-looking aesthetics of resistance can theatre articulate here?
Born in Portugal in 1977, Tiago Rodrigues is an actor, director, playwright, and producer, and has been director of the renowned Avignon Festival since 2022. Over the past 20 years, he has created more than 40 productions in over 25 countries, founded the company Mundo Perfeito with Magda Bizarro in 2003, and became director of the Teatro Nacional D. Maria II in Lisbon in 2015. He has received numerous prizes and honors, including the XV Europe Theatre Prize for New Theatrical Realities in 2018, the title “Chevalier de l`Ordre des Arts et des Lettres” from the French Republic in 2019, and the Prémio Pessoa, Portugal’s most prestigious award for the arts and sciences.
“Catarina e a beleza de matar fascistas” premiered in Portugal in 2020, directed by Tiago Rodrigues, and has toured extensively in Europe.
The German-language premiere of “Catarina oder von der Schönheit Faschisten zu töten” took place on February 14, 2026, at Schauspielhaus Bochum, directed by Mateja Koleznik.
As a rule, we offer our audience a post-show discussion after every performance. We will invite representatives from Tübingen’s civic community as well as visitors from elsewhere with a range of expertise. For these post-show discussions, Zimmertheater is collaborating with the Institute for Research on Right-Wing Extremism at the University of Tübingen. Our special thanks go to Prof. Dr. Léonie de Jonge.
Cast
Marco: Paul Smollich
Rui: Udo Rau
Isabel: Christina Weiser
Sara: Sophie Maria Scherrieble
Antonio: Thomas Bockelmann
Romeu: Malte Flierenbaum
Director: Tobias Schilling
Set/Costumes: Birgit Angele
Dramaturgy: Dr. Stefan Tigges
Technical crew: Mike Michelius, Alexander Schwab
Publisher: Henschel Schauspiel
Post-show discussions following performances of Catarina oder Von der Schönheit, Faschisten zu töten
Saturday, October 24: Dr. Martin Ulmer, Tübingen History Workshop, Jessica Reichert, Young Tübingen History Workshop, and a representative of the Young Guides Tübingen
Friday, October 30: Dr. Christopher Gohl and Dr. Bernd Villhauer, Tübingen Weltethos Institute
Saturday, October 31: Representatives of Omas gegen Rechts
Thursday, November 5: Set designer and visual artist. Most recently head of the Costume Design program at the Berlin University of the Arts and, from 2004 to 2011, professor of scenography at the Karlsruhe University of Arts and Design, and Rita Thiele, dramaturg and theatre practitioner. (In the presence of director Tobias Schilling)
Friday, November 6: Prof. Dr. Léonie de Jonge, Professor of Research on Right-Wing Extremism, Institute for Research on Right-Wing Extremism, University of Tübingen. (In the presence of director Tobias Schilling)
Friday, November 13: Dr. Sabine Volk, associate researcher at the Institute for Research on Right-Wing Extremism, University of Tübingen
Thursday, November 19: Prof. Dr. Annett Heft, Professor of Research on Right-Wing Extremism, specializing in media and publics; Dr. Kilian Bühling, research associate; Mareike Stürenburg, research associate; Institute for Research on Right-Wing Extremism, University of Tübingen
Friday, November 20: Prof. Dr. Tanja Thomas, Chair of Media Culture Transformations, Media Studies, University of Tübingen
Saturday, November 21: Prof. Dr. Barbara Stauber, Professor of Education, specializing in social pedagogy, Institute of Education, University of Tübingen. (In the presence of director Tobias Schilling)
Thursday, December 17: Dr. Christopher Gohl, Dr. Bernd Villhauer, Tübingen Weltethos Institute
sold out; remaining tickets may be available at the box office
Hallo, ich bin Maya.
