In an apocalyptic desert three travellers encounter a mysterious woman and her child. What begins as both an exhausting and cheerful journey develops into an absurd, but humorous night. A new, genre-spanning music theatre based on „The Woman at the Store“ by Katherine Mansfield. THE WATS explores themes such as longing, the power of children and reactions to violence.
The composition was funded by Musikfonds e.V. and the Senate Department for Culture and Social Cohesion of the State of Berlin. The production is funded by the Hauptstadtkulturfonds (HKF) and the Losito • Kressmann-Zschach Foundation, and is supported, amongst others, by the New Zealand Embassy in Germany; it is organised by the non-profit association “Aktuelle Musik und Musiktheater-Produktion Berlin”. World premiere: 2 October 2025, Ballhaus Ost, Berlin.
concept, composition, direction and video content: Stepha Schweiger
dramaturgy: Dag Lohde
sound design: Florian Tippe
electronic music arrangement: Pyrolator
stage background/video: PFA-STUDIOS
mask & costume consultant: Sofie Röhrig
drawing/requisite support: Sofia Casas
light design:Asli Atasoy Öner
production management: Johanna Madden,Dag Lohde
director's assistant: Luca Anthony
cast
Stepha Schweiger (the Wind, Singer)
Anke Retzlaff (woman, singer, actress,avatar)
Ziv Frenkel (child Else, dancer,avatar)
Deborah Rawlings (narrator, performer,avatar)
Raphael Dwinger (Jo, baritone, actor)
Adam Goodwin (Hin, double bass, avatar)
ensemble LUX:NM:
Silke Lange (accordion)
Ruth Velten (saxophone)
Florian Juncker (trombone)
Zoé Cartier (cello)
The band The Moon Is No Door, initiated by Stepha Schweiger, merges experimental kraut and punk elements with a magical, poetic sensibility. On their first album, they revisited texts from the author Katherine Mansfield, transforming them into a fusion of psychedelic rock, indie-pop, and avant-garde improvisation. Stepha Schweiger especially values the collaboration within the band, along with the fact that the band project gives her the opportunity to create a harder, edgier, and more krauty sound to match Mansfield’s lyrics. The core lineup of the band features Stepha Schweiger on vocals, pianos, and synthesizers and production, Robert Pöschl on electric bass and co-production, Adam Goodwin on double bass and Mäx Huber on drums and vocals.
