Fri

29.5.

20:00
Køteren og Terrieren

Sat

30.5.

20:00
Køteren og Terrieren

Thu

4.6.

20:00 Premiere
Das Helmi

Fri

5.6.

20:00
Das Helmi

Sat

6.6.

20:00
Das Helmi

Sun

7.6.

18:00
Das Helmi

Fri

12.6.

Sat

13.6.

Fri

19.6.

20:00 Premiere
vorschlag:hammer

Sat

20.6.

20:00
vorschlag:hammer

Sun

21.6.

18:00
vorschlag:hammer

Fri

26.6.

20:00 Premiere
Hauen und Stechen

Sat

27.6.

20:00
Hauen und Stechen

Sun

28.6.

18:00
Hauen und Stechen

Thu

2.7.

18:00 Premiere
Stefan Mießeler

Thu

2.7.

20:30
Stefan Mießeler

Fri

3.7.

18:00
Stefan Mießeler

Fri

3.7.

20:30
Stefan Mießeler

Sat

4.7.

18:00
Stefan Mießeler

Sat

4.7.

20:30
Stefan Mießeler

Sun

5.7.

16:00
Stefan Mießeler

Sun

5.7.

18:30
Stefan Mießeler

Thu

9.7.

20:00
Corazón & Guests

Sat

11.7.

20:00
Corazón & Guests

Productions

  • © Kaan Kanbur

True Romance

Stefan Mießeler

80 minutes
Theater hall

How much are you willing to give for love?

»True Romance« takes the audience deep into the heart of pig butchering — the most brutal form of digital romance scam. It is a billion-dollar business built on perfectly engineered emotional scripts: through endless messages, a real and beautiful relationship is sold to you, the damn best relationship you will ever have! And of course, that comes at a price. Until your bank account is empty. Until everything you have is gone.
Up to 15 audience members per performance experience the work of three characters inside a scam center. The immersive performance unfolds live in an office setting, somewhere between karaoke to Lana Del Rey’s »Video Games« and beer pong, while also taking place through smartphones handed out at the beginning. Using an app specially developed for the performance, parts of the story are delivered directly to the audience’s devices through personal chats and videos.
»True Romance« — a play about the promise of love in the digital age. A play like a message from the person you love. A play just for you.

Stefan Mießeler is an author and director. He creates performances and theatrical works that combine spoken theater with immersive settings and trash aesthetics.

Performance Minh-Thu Nguyen, Richard Gonlag, Sver Immel Text & Direction Stefan Mießeler Dramaturgy Anna Winde Hertling Stage & costume Joe Landt Light design Isi Oyarzún App development Hana Rensch, David Brade Video art Mahir Duman Access- & outreach dramaturgy Wanda Dubrau Production Michi Wolters Production internship Hana Rensch PR ehrliche arbeit - freies Kulturbüro / Ilka Rümke Visuals Kaan Kanbur

A production by Stefan Mießeler in cooperation with Ballhaus Ost and Hoch X Munich. Funded by the Fonds Darstellende Künste with support from the Federal Government Commissioner for Culture and the Media, the Ministry of Culture and Science of the State of North Rhine-Westphalia, the NRW State Office for Independent Performing Arts, and the Cultural Office of the City of Bielefeld.

Dates

  • Jul 02, 2026, 18:00 Premiere DE
  • Jul 02, 2026, 20:30 DE
  • Jul 03, 2026, 18:00 EN
  • Jul 03, 2026, 20:30 EN
  • Jul 04, 2026, 18:00 EN
  • Jul 04, 2026, 20:30 EN
  • Jul 05, 2026, 16:00 DE
  • Jul 05, 2026, 18:30 DE
Tickets

20 |15 | 10 Euro.
Tickets can be purchased by phone, email, or online. Please note that reservations via email and phone are only possible from Monday to Friday between 10:00 AM and 4:00 PM. For online tickets, the provider Reservix charges a 10% advance booking fee and a 2 Euro service fee in addition to the basic ticket price. 3-Euro-tickets for holders of a Berlin Pass / Berlin Ticket S are available at the box office only or via karten@ballhausost.de.

Language Info

On 02.07. & 05.07. in German spoken language.
On 03.07. & 04.07. in English spoken language.

Access / Content Note

Accessible for wheelchair users.
Various seating options available.
Access friend on site.
Early boarding is possible 15 minutes before the start of the show.

Content Notes:
The piece deals with the online scam known as “pig butchering,” a combination of so-called romance scams and investment fraud. The text is inspired by real events. The performance addresses (online) fraud, manipulation, exploitation, forced labor, poverty, emotional and physical violence, and loneliness.

The number of audience members is limited to 15 people. At the beginning, all visitors are given a mobile phone for interaction. At certain moments, performers directly address the audience, who can always decide for themselves how much they wish to participate in the piece. The audience is on stage together with the performers. There are two “stations” operated by the performers. The performance is accompanied by an access friend, who can be approached at any time. Various seating options are available. After the performance, there is the possibility to stay in the “aftercare space” at bar level, to reflect on the piece or ask questions.

Light and sound triggers:
At certain points in the performance, loud music is played. No strobe lighting is used, and the stage space is never completely dark.