Hamburg theater faces backlash as stars quit over far-right ties
Two prominent figures have pulled out of Trial Against Germany, a high-profile event at Hamburg’s Thalia Theater. Leonie Plaar and Rainer Mühlhoff withdrew after discovering far-right participants would take part. Their decision follows earlier controversies over the production’s approach to political discourse.
The event, set to run over three evenings as the finale of the Lessing Days festival, will feature real jurists, politicians, and public figures—including former AfD leader Frauke Petry. It will also be streamed live online. The dispute began when Plaar and Mühlhoff received the full list of participants just five days before the event. Both had previously discussed the project with organisers but were unaware of the far-right involvement until the last moment. Plaar, who has criticised the normalisation of extremist views, stated that sharing a stage with figures whose politics dehumanise her community was unacceptable.
This is not the first time the production has faced backlash. Earlier, a guest performance tied to the project saw far-right slogans shouted from the audience, sparking outrage. Rainer Mühlhoff went further, accusing the Thalia Theater of giving a platform to voices that actively undermine democracy and open debate.
The current controversy echoes last year’s Vienna Festival, where director Axel Brügemann withdrew from a Milo Rau project. He criticised it as overly populist and sending the wrong political signal. Now, similar concerns have surfaced in Hamburg over Trial Against Germany’s participant list and its potential impact on public discourse. The withdrawals leave the Thalia Theater facing questions over its selection process and the event’s framing. With live performances and an online stream still scheduled, organisers must now address the fallout. The debate highlights ongoing tensions between artistic freedom and the risks of legitimising extremist voices in cultural spaces.
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