Interdisciplinary music theatre by Stepha Schweiger based on ‘The Woman at the Store’ by Katherine Mansfield
Berlin composer and musician Stepha Schweiger presents THE WATS, a new, genre-defying piece of musical theatre. Based on the short story ‘The Woman at the Store’ by Katherine Mansfield (1888–1923), the piece will premiere in October 2025 at Ballhaus Ost in Berlin.
Image gallery
THE_WATS-Stepha Schweiger
THE_WATS-Stepha Schweiger
In THE WATS, three travellers encounter a mysterious woman and her child in the remote, apocalyptic desert landscape of New Zealand. What begins as an exhausting yet cheerful journey develops into an absurd drama about violence, isolation and emancipation.
Schweiger translates Mansfield's motifs – the role of women, interpersonal relationships and the relationship with nature – into a contemporary social context.
The music theatre piece addresses highly topical issues such as sexualised violence, climate catastrophe and the search for self-determination using musical means of repetition and subtle, catchy variations.
The concept, composition, direction and video content are by Stepha Schweiger, supported by Dag Lohde (dramaturgy), Florian Tippe (sound design) and PFA-STUDIOS (stage background/video), as well as Pyrolator (electronic arrangement).
The cast includes
Anke Retzlaff (Woman, singer, actress, also as an avatar), Ziv Frenkel (Kind Else, dancer, also as an avatar), Deborah Rawlings (narrator, performer, also as an avatar), Raphael Dwinger (Jo, baritone, actor) and Adam Goodwin (Hin, double bass player, also as an avatar).. The piece is also supported musically and performatively by the ensemble LUX:NM with Silke Lange (accordionist), Ruth Velten (saxophonist), Florian Juncker (trombonist) and Zoé Cartier (cellist).
Stepha Schweiger, known for her powerful music theatre works and albums that combine literature, new music and electronic media, continues to develop her artistic exploration of socially relevant themes with THE WATS. The production combines music, acting, dance, digital media and projections to create an immersive stage experience.
The performances are in English and are aimed at an international audience open to new artistic formats, gender issues and current socio-political topics. Accompanying audience discussions deepen access to Katherine Mansfield's work and promote cultural exchange.
- Premiere: 2 October 2025, 8 p.m.
- 3 and 4 October 2025, 8 p.m., 5 October 2025, 6 p.m.
- Venue: Ballhaus Ost, Berlin
Dates
October 2025
| Mo | Tu | We | Th | Fr | Sa | Su |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1
|
2
|
3
|
4
|
5
| ||
6
|
7
|
8
|
9
|
10
|
11
|
12
|
13
|
14
|
15
|
16
|
17
|
18
|
19
|
20
|
21
|
22
|
23
|
24
|
25
|
26
|
27
|
28
|
29
|
30
|
31
|
