Meine Mama ist ein Arsch / Mein Papa ist ein Drecksblatt

In the organizer's words:

Two plays by author Anoushka Warden as a double feature and for the first time in German.

My Mum's a Twat

"My Mum's a Twat" is a biting and open-hearted account of puberty under adverse conditions. Performed as a monologue, this short but intense coming-of-age story is presented through the prism of adolescent logic. It is told from the perspective of a girl whose happy childhood comes to an abrupt end when her mother begins to behave like an idiot. This is expressed primarily by her moving in with an unsympathetic new lover (affectionately christened "twat" by the daughter) and indulging in the "Heal Thyself Centre for Self-Realization and Transcendence" in Somerset.

Although there is no abuse or great cruelty, the emotional abandonment by her mother hits hard and the pain caused is made relatable to the audience through the subjectivity of the account. Nevertheless, the wry humor and many well-placed punchlines create enough distance to prevent the play from becoming too heavy. Anoushka Warden's theater debut quickly became a hit at the Royal Court in 2018. The playwright herself described it as an "unreliable version of a true story, filtered through a hazy memory and a vivid imagination".

Have you ever tried to maintain a relationship with an asshole? It's hard work and only works if you're not a trace of an ass yourself. Which is pretty difficult when you've just become a teenager.

A manifesto of adolescent rebellion and resilience.

My dad's a scumbag

After "My Mum's a Twat", Anouschka Warden's second play "My Dad's a C*nt" is also dedicated to the life of a teenager, this time growing up with her father - a Royal Air Force fighter pilot.

The father's regime is very rigid, and not just in culinary terms. He rules over the family with military discipline. When he discovers that his daughter is secretly visiting the hottest boy at school and then gets hold of her diary, he sends her to a military camp without further ado. There, within a week, she is supposed to learn to fly a glider on her own - "simultaneously the worst and the best thing I've ever experienced."

The emotional rollercoaster ride between father and daughter is captivating and frightening in equal measure, the anecdotes sometimes absurd, sometimes hilarious. While the daughter tells her story in the café, the father's presence remains palpable - he waits, almost ghostly, in the background. Even after the first scene together, an invisible sword of Damocles hangs over the play. The circle closes, the ending is not unexpected, but the twist is surprisingly courageous and strong.

"My Dad's a C*nt" was awarded the Platform Presents' Playwriting Prize in London in 2020 and provides a rousing, entertaining insight into the mind of a teenager - without ever slipping into the pathetic, despite the serious subject matter.