“A masterpiece of provocation” – Three Times Left is Right selected for Theatertreffen 2026

We are excited! Three Times Left is Right has been selected for Theatertreffen 2026. On 13 January the jury announced their choice for the ten most remarkable productions of the season during a press conference in Berlin.

Berliner Theatertreffen is the most important theatre festival in the German-speaking world. Each year, an independent jury of critics selects the ten most remarkable productions from Germany, Austria, and Switzerland and invites them to Berlin. The festival presents a snapshot of contemporary theatre, showcasing innovative artistic approaches and relevant social themes.

Three Times Left is Right is an urgent and darkly humorous performance about polarisation. It premiered at the Wiener Festwochen in May 2025. What makes the news extra special for us is that we are the only independent production amongst the selected performances of this year! From the jury statement:

“Inspired by the relationship between a left-wing cultural theorist and a New Right author from Vienna, Julian Hetzel develops an unusual, astonishing theatre play. How can people live together when their worldviews are diametrically opposed? Kristien De Proost and Josse De Pauw play a couple whose political conflicts have eaten their way into the kitchen table. With microscopic precision, Hetzel zooms in on the inner workings of their relationship, in which conversations on the playground shake the certainties of a supposedly stable institution. In a minimalist setting, the two engage in a heated battle over the better ideology — emblematic of social polarization. Why are left-wing modes of thinking so quickly co-opted by the right? With dark humor, Hetzel constructs idiosyncratic images for the overheated climate of discourse and radicalization, until even the subtitles take on a life of their own. With sweaty palms, one watches the performance and leaves absolutely shaken by this conceptually astute and stimulating evening. A masterpiece of provocation.”
— Vincent Koch for the Theatertreffen Jury

Three Times Left is Right will be shown as part of Theatertreffen in Berlin between 1–17 May 2026. Dates will be announced. Keep an eye on our social media and newsletter.

The piece is a co-production with the Wiener Festwochen and Schauspiel Leipzig. During the research and creation process, we collaborated with CAMPO Ghent, SPRING Festival Utrecht, and De Balie Amsterdam. Three Times Left is Right was realized with the support of the Performing Arts Fund NL, City of Utrecht, Ammodo Art, Fund ZOZ, and K.F. Hein Fund.

We also warmly congratulate the other amazing theater makers and productions that are nominated for the upcoming Theatertreffen: Florentina Holzinger (A Year without Summer), Jaz Woodcock-Stewart (Die Glasmenagerie), Lucia Bihler (Die Welt im Rücken), Leonie Böhm and Julia Riedler (Fräulein Else), Giuseppe Tomasi di Lampedusa (Il Gattopardo), Jette Steckel (Mephisto), and Jan-Christoph Gockel (Wallenstein) and Sebastian Hartmann (Serotonin, Der Hauptmann von Köpenick).

See you all in Berlin!

Read here the official press release from the website of Berliner Festspiele.