An actor performing a far-right activist monologue in Bochum, Germany, was heckled, pelted with fruit, and subjected to an attempted stage invasion during the German premiere of "Catarina, or the Beauty of Killing Fascists" on Saturday.
An actor performing a far-right activist monologue in Bochum, Germany, was heckled, pelted with fruit, and subjected to an attempted stage invasion during the German premiere of "Catarina, or the Beauty of Killing Fascists" on Saturday.
Incident Details
Actor Ole Lagerpusch was delivering a 15-minute monologue in character when audience members began whistling, heckling, and insulting him. An orange was thrown, narrowly missing the actor. Two spectators reportedly attempted to mount the stage with the intention of dragging the actor off, but were prevented.
Theatre spokesperson Alexander Kruse described the incident as "completely unacceptable."
Play Context
The Portuguese playwright Tiago Rodrigues's work, which won awards in 2020, tells the story of a family with an annual tradition of kidnapping and executing a "fascist" to avenge a historical murder. The play explores a generational conflict regarding the means justified to defend democracy.
Reactions and Aftermath
Mateja Koležnik, the play's director, stated she was proud of Lagerpusch's performance and criticized the spectators' actions, noting that while some audience interaction was expected, a stage invasion was not. She described Lagerpusch as "traumatised" by the event. Koležnik indicated the production aimed to challenge audiences and suggested future manifestations of fascism might come from seemingly "normal, nice people."
Critic Martin Krumbholz, who was present, reported that Lagerpusch continued his performance despite the hostile reaction. Krumbholz attributed the uproar to some audience members' apparent inability to distinguish between fiction and reality. Critic Christoph Ohrem noted the play's history of eliciting strong responses and deemed it effective for challenging audiences.
Following the incident, the theatre received messages of support on its Instagram page. A subsequent performance, which included stepped-up security and an appeal for calm by deputy director Angela Obst, proceeded without further incidents.