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DIE KLEINE MEERJUNGFRAU

Tickets
DIE KLEINE MEERJUNGFRAU

A FLUID FAIRY FANTASY
by Bastian Kraft and ensemble
based on the story by Hans Christian Andersen 
DIRECTED BY: Bastian Kraft

PFAUEN
PREMIERE: 25.01.2025
2 hours 10 minutes (no interval)
recommended from age 14+

A coproduction with Thalia Theater Hamburg

«When people see a fish, no one thinks to ask if it is male or female. An aquarium is like paradise in that respect. They marvel at you for your beauty, and no one wants to look between your legs.»

Under water we humans have unclear vision. Shapes blur. Physical boundaries dissolve. Everything flows. The same thing happens in drag, the artform that dissolves gender roles with extravagant costumes and makeup, plunges identities in glitter and sequins, and most of all, delivers a breathtaking show. Hans Christian Andersen’s fairy tale exhibits a similar transformation. A mermaid falls in love with someone and wants to get rid of her fishtail. The well-known ending of the story is tragic. Perhaps it reflects Andersen’s own fate: He was in love with his boyhood friend and could never live that love. Indeed it is a tale as old as humanity itself – of nymphs, mermaids, water spirits, of transformation and liberation from ascribed roles.

Director Bastian Kraft, who is well known to the Schauspielhaus Zürich, has delighted audiences in recent years with his productions of “Andorra” and “Homo Faber” by Max Frisch and “Buddenbrooks” by Thomas Mann.
Now, instead of the prince's love on land, Bastian Kraft seeks happiness in the sea: with performers from the ensemble and stars from the Swiss drag scene, he re-reads the story of the Little Mermaid and dives into a place where biography and fairy tale merge and drag and drama blur into a show de nixe.

Audio guide
Introduction: Bendix Fesefeldt, Dramaturgy

DIE KLEINE MEERJUNGFRAU (Trailer)

Inteview with the director Bastian Kraft © Schauspielhaus Zürich

Anis Meschichi aka Klamydia von Karma, Elias Arens, Sasha Melroch, Karin Pfammatter, Ivy Monteiro aka Tropikahl Ivy, Alexander Angeletta, Michel von Känel aka Paprika © Toni Suter T+T Fotografie

Michel von Känel aka Paprika © Toni Suter, T+T Fotografie

Ivy Monteiro aka Tropikahl Ivy © Toni Suter, T+T Fotografie

Sasha Melroch, Anis Meschichi aka Klamydia von Karma © Toni Suter, T+T Fotografie

Elias Arens © Toni Suter, T+T Fotografie

Alexander Angeletta © Toni Suter, T+T Fotografie

Anis Meschichi aka Klamydia von Karma © Toni Suter, T+T Fotografie

Ivy Monteiro aka Tropikahl Ivy © Toni Suter, T+T Fotografie

Ensemble  © Toni Suter, T+T Fotografie

Sasha Melroch,  Karin Pfammatter, © Toni Suter, Elias Arens, Ivy Monteiro aka Tropikahl Ivy ©  T+T Fotografie

Alexander Angeletta © Toni Suter, T+T Fotografie

Anis Meschichi aka Klamydia von Karma © Toni Suter, T+T Fotografie

Karin Pfammatter © Toni Suter, T+T Fotografie

Michel von Känel aka Paprika © Toni Suter, T+T Fotografie

Elias Arens © Toni Suter, T+T Fotografie

Ensemble © Toni Suter, T+T Fotografie

SAT 03.10.
BACK IN THE PROGRAM with English surtitles Introduction 7.30 p.m.
PFAUEN
Tickets
SUN 25.10.
with English surtitles
PFAUEN
Tickets
THUR 29.10.
with English surtitles Introduction 7.30 p.m.
PFAUEN
Tickets
MON 02.11.
MIGROS THEATRE MONDAY with English surtitles
PFAUEN
Tickets
Elias Arens
Sasha Melroch
Karin Pfammatter
Dr. Anis Meschichi aka Klamydia von Karma
Ivy Monteiro aka Tropikahl Ivy
Renan Carvalho aka Hausvrau
Michel von Känel aka Paprika
Alexander Angeletta
DIRECTED BY
Bastian Kraft
Set Design
Peter Baur
Costume design
Sophie Reble
Music
Björn SC Deigner
Video
Jonas Link
Light
Michel Güntert
Dramaturgy
Bendix Fesefeldt
Dramaturgical support rerun
Dominika Široká
Artistic Mediation T&S
Zora Maag
Choreographic Outside Eye
Ivy Monteiro aka Tropikahl Ivy
Assistant director
Sarah-Maria Hemmerling
Evening Performance Manager
Philipp Stevens
Stage design assistance
Naemi Jael Marty
Costume Design assistance
Renée Kraemer
Director’s intern
Illia La Belle
Stage design intern
Eva Guler
Costume design intern
Helene Möller
Myron Kontar
Inspection
Michael Durrer
Soufflage
Katja Weppler
Surtitle translation
Sinikka Weber
Surtitle coordination
Meyberg (Panthea) Katrin
tracking statistics
Annette Berger
Video statistics
Irem Güngez
Alice Speller
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  • ‘Opulent, intelligent, spirited.’

    ‘Opulent, intelligent, spirited.’ — NZZ am Sonntag, 02.02.2025

  • "All in all: A theatrical wonder. Repeatedly met with applause during scenes by the audience..."

    "All in all: A theatrical wonder. Repeatedly met with applause during scenes by the audience and celebrated almost frenetically at the end; more than a few were visibly moved to tears." — nachtkritik.de (Valeria Heintges, Jan 26, 2025)

    To article

  • Drag queen and teacher

    High heels, a wig, and a glittery dress instead of chemistry class: After the school bell rings, Michel von Känel transforms into Paprika. His career as a drag queen began secretly in his parents' bathroom. Today, he no longer makes a secret of it. – Tele 1 (01.09.2026)

    To article

  • "This evening is one of those rare occurrences. Because it finds just the right balance..."

    "This evening is one of those rare occurrences. Because it finds just the right balance between celebration, party, and intoxication on one side, and silence, pain, and a longing for a better world filled with—if you please—somewhat wiser people on the other." — nachtkritik.de (Valeria Heintges, Jan 26, 2025)

    To article

  • "Together with his ensemble, director Bastian Kraft celebrates a gender-fluid party the likes of which the Pfauen stage has never seen before..."

    "Together with his ensemble, director Bastian Kraft celebrates a gender-fluid party the likes of which the Pfauen stage has never seen before. It is a plea for greater acceptance, a love letter to drag, and a sparkling stand against anti-queer hostility." — Tages-Anzeiger (Isabel Hemmel, Jan 26, 2025)

    To article

  • "Welcome to the world of the little mermaids..."

    "Welcome to the world of the little mermaids—and welcome as well to the world of drag, both of which masterfully merge in a fairytale revue by director Bastian Kraft." — NZZ am Sonntag (Feb 2, 2025)

  • "They still exist—those moments in the theater where the audience's enthusiasm is so immense that there is no holding back."

    "They still exist—those moments in the theater where the audience's enthusiasm is so immense that there is no holding back." — Regionaljournal ZH SH (Kaa Linder, Jan 28, 2025)

  • "Director Bastian Kraft creates a theatrical wonder..."

    "Director Bastian Kraft creates a theatrical wonder that is light and playful, intelligent and profound, featuring set and costume design so beautiful it makes you want to weep. While the stories surrounding belonging, sexual identity, and self-discovery often reach painful depths, they are always accompanied by cheerfulness and humor." — SRF2 Kultur (Kaa Linder, Jan 28, 2025)

    To article

  • "You don't have to be a drag fan to be seduced, swept away, and thrilled by this little mermaid..."

    "You don't have to be a drag fan to be seduced, swept away, and thrilled by this little mermaid. On Zurich's Pfauen stage, you're in the very best of company." — SRF2 Kultur (Kaa Linder, Jan 28, 2025)

    To article

  • "In the end, the applause just won't stop..."

    "In the end, the applause just won't stop. Standing ovations throughout the hall; the audience as a body was lifted right out of their seats by a wave of appreciation and empathy." — NZZ (Ueli Bernays, Jan 26, 2025)

  • "And perhaps therein lies the secret of this magnificent evening of theater:..."

    "And perhaps therein lies the secret of this magnificent evening of theater: that it weaves documentary, musical, and cinematic elements into a brilliant revue, effortlessly shaking off decades-old sediment of negative stereotypes surrounding drag." — NZZ am Sonntag (Feb 2, 2025)

  • "The interweaving of hybrid genres such as karaoke, musical theater, burlesque, and video choreography..."

    "The interweaving of hybrid genres such as karaoke, musical theater, burlesque, and video choreography repeatedly draws enthusiastic applause during the performance." — NZZ (Ueli Bernays, Jan 26, 2025)

  • "But the frenetic reactions cannot be explained by artistic quality alone..."

    "But the frenetic reactions cannot be explained by artistic quality alone. It is also a matter of sympathy and solidarity. The drag queens have, so to speak, opened their hearts. In return, the audience wants to express its gratitude with applause and affection." — NZZ (Ueli Bernays, Jan 26, 2025)

  • "... The director knows how to create atmosphere."

    "At the Pfauen, director Bastian Kraft establishes a connection between those on stage and the audience below within just a few minutes. The director knows how to create atmosphere." — Tages-Anzeiger (Isabel Hemmel, Jan 26, 2025)

    To article

  • "Bare men's bottoms and latex breasts are swung about. The evening is also a grand spectacle."

    "Bare men's bottoms and latex breasts are swung about. The evening is also a grand spectacle." — Tages-Anzeiger (Isabel Hemmel, Jan 26, 2025)

    To article

  • "... allows the audience to experience what Shakespeare already knew: that all the world's a stage."

    "The fact that she commands the repertoire of male gestures at least as virtuously as her drag colleagues command that of female ones allows the audience to experience what Shakespeare already knew: that all the world's a stage." — NZZ am Sonntag (Feb 2, 2025)

  • "To describe this show as brilliant would be an understatement. You come out of it glittering—inside and out..."

    "To describe this show as brilliant would be an understatement. You come out of it glittering—inside and out. The perfect introduction to theater for people whose dopamine receptors have been ruined by TikTok and who are unimpressed by conventional theater." — Sofiya Miroshnyk, Tsüri

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  • "(...) glittering, the play plunges into the depths; it touches, disturbs, but above all, illuminates..."

    "(...) glittering, the play plunges into the depths; it touches, disturbs, but above all, illuminates. One laugh follows another. A minutes-long standing ovation at the end. And as you watch this soulful and literal striptease, as glitter piece by glitter piece falls away, it becomes clear what connection Ariel has to the world of drag—and what role drag plays in society." — Sofiya Miroshnyk, Tsüri

    To article

CONTENT NOTE
This production thematises queer-hostile violence and includes an explicit scene of politically-activist motivated self-harm (video interlude is announced in the play).

SENSORY NOTE
Strobe, loud noises/music, fog.

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