Seen at Edinburgh Festival Fringe on the 22^nd of August 2019

Review by Federica Balbi

– Interesting story

Most people ignore who Käthe Petersen was – who she really was. Even her Wikipedia page is extremely synthetic, and not exhaustive at all. In Taboo, a fictional talk show where it is talked about ʻthings nobody wants to talk aboutʼ, we discover the darkest sides of this acclaimed personality.

   A renowned lawyer and social worker,  Käthe Petersen received many awards for her career in post-war West Germany. She promoted social services and won important battles for social rights. On the other hand, her activities during World War II were not so pristine.

   Karin Schmid, Austrian psychologist, playwright and actress, has been devoted to archive research to get to know more about this woman. She discovered about her traditionalist ideals and her never denied role in the Nazi élite; she promoted eugenics and dealt in prostitutes for German soldiers.

   The story is extremely interesting, but conveyed in quite a didactic way. Some ideas are good but one more actress would be needed on stage. A moment of dialogue is opened at the end of the show, to exchange opinions and feelings, and it can produce an interesting debate.

1^st – 25^th August, 2.15 pm

Running time: 1 hour

Sweet Novotel (Venue 188), Novotel Edinburgh Centre Hotel, 80 Lauriston Place, Edinburgh EH3 9DE

Tickets and Info: https://tickets.edfringe.com/whats-on/taboo

Company website: https://www.karin-schmid.com/#taboo

Twitter: https://twitter.com/theatretouring

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/theatretouring