Richard Wagner is a drag queen, and Shlomi Moto Wagner’s great-grandfather was her drag mother. Together, they share not only family roots, but also a drag heritage in the Jewish House of Mazeltov. This pseudo-documentary musical theater performance delves into forgotten rumors and repressed facts about Wagner’s personality: his obsession with pink, the scandalous satin orders, and the question of whether hiding his desires was related to the hatred he simultaneously projected onto the world. Could this project be his belated coming-out statement? Between classical Wagner motifs, electronic beats, lip-syncing, video projections, and lots of pink satin, a queer musical theater spectacle for the 21st century emerges. So, Mazeltov Queen Richard Wagner—let’s go! Directed, performed, and composed by Shlomi Moto Wagner — interdisciplinary performer*, trained opera singer*, composer*, author*, and drag queen a.k.a. Mazy Mazeltov, who charges classical music and forms with pop culture and queer mythology and reassembles them. Together with dramaturge and co-director Anne Welenc, a glittering and unsparing examination of arguably the most polarizing figure in opera history emerges. Jones Seitz provides the technical magic, while the 3D imagery is created in an exciting new collaboration with digital artist Alejandro Spano. Michel Wagenschütz designs the costumes, combining historical fantasy with the sensuality of drag. Together, the team creates an immersive performance about gender, heritage, and redemption—on stage and in the present moment of history. With special thanks toMima Milo – The one and only Yiddish IsoldeMendi Cahan – Yiddish translation of Mild und LeiseMila Wagner Vishnavskaya – Shlomi’s mother, for the phone-call contributionsDr. Reinhold Brunner und das Reuter-Wagner-Museum in Eisenach – for their help with archival materialAnne Welenc – The voice of Katherina WagnerStefanie Altenhofer – The voice of Fräulein Bertha GoldwagAntina Christ – Fabulous Cosima updo wig Phillip Lawton – Deutsche Oper Library, providing the Yiddish score of Tristan und Isolde

»Morast« is a swampy ritual about desire, violence, attention, and all the sticky chaos we call love. Poetic, queer, naked, cathartic, and beautiful. Jon Darc and band invite you to a concert somewhere between darkroom and piano ballad – an evening where we are born, fall apart, and grow anew with them. So: dress up, strip down – it doesn’t matter. Come as beautiful as you are – and let yourself fall into the morast. Pophaus Ost is part of The Late Night Shows: on the Side-Quest-Stage, following performances on the main stage, five short, performative, musical, and humorous formats invite audiences to stay a bit longer. To see artists who usually perform in all kinds of settings — from your landlord’s cellar to the rooftops of Gotham.Coming up next: »Jokehaus Ost: Dinara Kerey, Abi Mohanty, Sofia May & EXPERT BY IDENTITY« on 6.12

Twaliwo is an expression in Luganda, the language of the Buganda tribe—one of the largest ethnic groups in present-day Uganda—and essentially means “we once were.” Behind this lies the idea that there was once a time when people lived in harmony with one another. This time is remembered as being economically and spiritually balanced. It is now considered lost, and Twaliwo has become an expression for something that is past. One material and craft practice from a time that could be described as “Twaliwo” is the production of lubugo: bark cloth from Uganda. The practice is one of the oldest textile production methods in human history and uses the bark of the Mutuba fig tree. It dates back 12,000 years, is now part of humanity’s intangible cultural heritage, and is protected by UNESCO. »Twaliwo« uses documentary dance theater to tell the story of bark cloth—and of the multitude of traditional dances and songs associated with this fabric. Christoph Winkler and Robert Ssempijja have collaborated several times in recent years, deepening the artistic dialogue between Germany and Uganda. This collaboration finds its full expression in »Twaliwo«, with Ssempijja as co-choreographer alongside Winkler.

Three comedians will act out their version of the common premise: tragedy + time = comedy! All of it is inspired by the 2025 season of the reality show called WORLD, which we currently suffer through. Their jokes will be a reckoning with personal and political topics! Same premise – different outcome! Jokehaus Ost is part of The Late Night Shows: on the Side-Quest-Stage, following performances on the main stage, five short, performative, musical, and humorous formats invite audiences to stay a bit longer. To see artists who usually perform in all kinds of settings — from your landlord’s cellar to the rooftops of Gotham.Coming up next: »Questhaus Ost: BroKolya und guests« on 20.12.

The Initiative Solidarität am Theater e.V. (ISaT) invites you to a two-day gathering on intersectional queer-feminist archival practices. Based on the history of marginalized groups’ movements, we want to decentralize dominant narratives in the cultural sector and work together to develop and maintain »archives of resistance« that prioritize marginalized knowledge. We ask ourselves how an archive can become (more) accessible and what gaps and conflicts have led to some struggles being barely remembered. On December 12 and 13, we are bringing the archive to the theater space of Ballhaus Ost and inviting colleagues and audiences to engage in artistic interaction and encounter with the unfinished archive. The Initiative for Solidarity in Theater (ISaT) was founded in 2017 out of the need to counteract ongoing inequality and discrimination in the cultural sector. It is a decentralized network that aims to act from a perspective critical of power structures. PROGRAMFRIDAY 12/1217:00: Welcome18:30–19:15: »BIOFUCK«, performance, LIFT Performance Collective20:00–20:30: »Hungerstein«, lecture performance, Aidan Riebensahm & Lea Steinhilber21:30–22:30: Agnieszka Habraschka / Eszka, concert22:30–23:00: Soft ending SATURDAY 13/1214:00: Welcome13:15–16:00: »Die Möllner Briefe« (96′), film screening16:00–17:00: »FemmeFitness«, lecture performance & feminist fitness session19:00–20:00: »böse blicke_n«, lecture performance, Nuray Demir20:30–21:30: »Darf man etwa nicht so egozentrisch sein und seine Erfahrungen für sich behalten? Diasporisches Erinnern an Fasia Jansen«, performative reading »Brief an Fasia« followed by a film screening, Ali*ne B*enecke21:30–22:30: Exchange and a joint closing22:30–23:00: Soft ending Click here for the website and audio flyer for Archives of Resistance

The sober party series Lemonade Queers has come to an end (for now) – unfortunately, the series did not receive funding for next year. But we are not getting sad. Instead, we are throwing a big GOOD BYE (for now) Party. We want to thank everyone who came and supported us: all our guests, all the artists, all the media, CSD Berlin, SchwuZ, and Ballhaus Ost. We are truly grateful and amazed by what we have been able to create in the last two and a half years. Lemonade Queers is the only regular sober party for queers in Berlin. Living sober is not easy, especially in a city like Berlin. This is why founders Vlady and Momo have decided to celebrate sobriety and invite all sober queers, sober curious people, and allies to join us for a fantastic evening. They offer a Connection Space, including fun and engaging connection games and questions. Two beanbags will be available for people who struggle sitting on chairs or benches. A special Party Host. A special Warm Up. And a big Party. With great DJs and amazing alcohol-free drinks. There will be no alcohol served or visible. So grab all your friends, and queers, let’s cheers with lemonade. 18:00 Doors18:30–19:30 Connections19:30–20:00 Warm Up20:00–00:00 Party

Before four Drag Royals play the classic pen-and-paper role-playing game Dungeons & Dragons at Questhaus Ost, there will be an opportunity to embark on your own adventure at the open game night: whether you are a curious beginner or an experienced role player, alone or in a group – everyone is welcome. There will be a short introduction to how pen-and-paper games work at the beginning, then the games that have been brought along will be presented and a group will be formed for each game. Feel free to drop by spontaneously or register in advance (info@ballhausost.de), especially if you want to bring a game and lead it. Games can be played in German and English. Drinks and snacks will be available on site. Admission is free. 16:30 Introduction17:00 Game presentations and group formationuntil 21:00 play session, after which the bar will be open for Questhaus Ost What is Pen&Paper?In most role-playing games, a game master guides the game: they describe scenes, describe locations, play all non-player characters, and decide how the story unfolds. The game rules provide guidance for this.The players take on the roles of fictional characters and develop the plot. There are also role-playing games with a character sheet that provides information about skills and abilities or fun facts. Many decisions and game moments whose outcome is uncertain are determined by rolling dice. This is also specified in the respective rules. There are countless scenarios in pen and paper games. Whether as a vampire in 1920s London, a thief in the future, with magic, without magic. Anything is possible.The basic rules and game settings are laid down in the so-called rulebooks. How closely you adhere to these basic rules is a group decision. The rule here is: as long as everyone is having fun, anything goes.

Night falls over Berlin. Drag creatures gather at Ballhaus Ost to battle monsters of modern history with improv, queerness & love. Guided by game drag-king-master BroKolya, drag heroin*es Gonk the Griller and Raki Solale take on a wild Drags & Dragons quest to save the world. Questhaus Ost is part of The Late Night Shows: on the Side-Quest-Stage, following performances on the main stage, five short, performative, musical, and humorous formats invite audiences to stay a bit longer. To see artists who usually perform in all kinds of settings — from your landlord’s cellar to the rooftops of Gotham.

Audioflyer A line. 5 bodies. 4 wheels. 3 times 3 legs. 2 ears on each head. 1 made of glass, 1 tongue in each mouth. In a straight line: arm to arm, shoulder to wrist, pinkies entwined. The five white bodies in the line move in a way I can’t grasp. They shift weight, use momentum, push wheels, carry the line through space. Steady, one decides to pivot. The outer edges speed up. Fast, hustling, enjoying and hating the game, they hack space. Blank white canvases are moved, sound of friction across the floor. They get ready to be projected on. The need for gaps, to reach into ancient wisdom and contemporary desires, appears. Holding on to the kinship of these migrated, queer, crip bodies seems essential. Seemingly lost, seeking linearity, the five bodies realize there is more. They break open. I hear them fall apart, grieving-sobbing, raging-laughing, swallowing unknowns. Nurtured to reveal the new now, it becomes theirs. It becomes ours. I feel an urge to explore. You too? Welcome to BIOFUCK! A testimony to non-linear biographies. LIFT Tanzkollektiv (Liv Schellander, Irene Giró, Fia/Sophia Neises, Tanja Erhart) is a constellation of crip, queer and migrant bodies driven by a shared commitment to creating new encounters and narrative spaces that center Aesthetics of Access.

A gathering on stage to repeat a prediction that already came true yesterday. The bedfolds will speak to us and tell us about needs we probably don’t know of yet. Connections arise alongside the fact that we do not have to walk, run or even get up. That we are protected, without tensing our muscles, without knowing many people, without money, insurance or a passport. An Invitation for a reading, a performance, a gathering that captures how we archive, create and listen to our folds in various presences in order to search our needs and be ready. »we prepared ourselves not to be found« works with experiences and material from one-to-one bedfold readings where Jeanne Eschert mixes magic, rituals, palm reading, and experiences in bed. Together with the participants, they find out the physicality and temporality in the bed sheet imprints. If you are interested in a bedfold reading via home visit, videocall or chat, write to bedfoldreadings@gmail.com. It is aimed at people who spend a lot of time in bed and have built up a special relationship with it – people with chronic or mental illness, disabilities or the people around them. Jeanne Eschert creates texts, performances, magic, choreographies, fine arts, and ongoing gatherings in various theaters and venues. She works in a magic shop, grew up with circus in Cologne and studied applied theater studies in Giessen. Her artistic work relates to magic tricks, chronic illness, bedriddenness, and transness.