Catarina, or The Beauty of Killing Fascists - Kostprobe, Introduction to the Play 19:30

Catarina, or The Beauty of Killing Fascists
Tiago Rodrigues, translated from Portuguese by Niki Graça

In one Portuguese family, there is a summer tradition: on the anniversary of the murder of farm worker Catarina Eufémia on May 19, 1954 - carried out by henchmen of the Salazar dictatorship - a fascist is killed. The family gathering begins with food and drink and ends with the shooting of a previously kidnapped criminal. When the daughter refuses to continue the ritual because she no longer believes in the logic of revenge and rejects violence as a legitimate means of defending freedom and democracy, a complex political and ethical conflict unfolds within the family.

The play poses questions that directly touch our social reality: Who is a fascist today, and how do fascist rhetorics function? What does "acting politically" mean today? What can a defensive democracy offer when resistance must not turn into violence? Are we allowed to break the rules of democracy if we seek other ways to defend it? And - as Eva von Redecker asks - is the central challenge not precisely that "we must learn to fight fascism in a non-fascist way"?

"Catarina e a beleza de matar fascistas" was first performed in 2020 by Tiago Rodrigues in Portugal and has toured extensively throughout Europe. The German-language premiere took place on February 14, 2026, directed by Mateja Koleznik at Schauspielhaus Bochum. Premiere at Zimmertheater: October 17, 2026.

After each performance, a discussion takes place with representatives from Tübingen's civic community and invited guests with various expertise. Zimmertheater cooperates with the Institute for Research on Right-Wing Extremism at the University of Tübingen (Prof. Dr. Léonie de Jonge).

Cast:
Marco: Paul Schmollich
Rui: Udo Rau
Isabel: Christina Wei