Baby don't hurt me

In 1997, the band Aqua released the song “Barbie Girl.” It tells the story of a woman who submits to the will of a man—no, of all men—and even becomes a toy for him. Everything is articulated in such a garish, exaggerated way, so larger-than-life in its portrayal, that the level of criticism inherent in this image is barely recognizable. Susanne Frieling links this notion of womanhood to the literary figure of Lolita, a young girl who becomes entangled in a scandalous—above all sexual—relationship of dependency with an older man.

In the devised theatre piece “Baby Don’t Hurt Me,” a young woman sets out in search of herself. Reflected in a world in which women too often serve as projection screens for male fantasies, she emancipates herself from the web of expectations that governs her. In her interplay with a man, a delicate fabric unfolds, woven from intimacy and self-determination, reality and imagination, and again and again, desire. The two poles—adult and youthful, male and female—stand in opposition, negotiating their positions in relation to one another and striving to find their own freedom and fulfillment.

Premiere: December 1, 2021

The production was invited to the  Heidelberger Stückemarkt 2022