Wed, 3.12.
8 – 10:10 pm
Tickets
Wed, 3.12.
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Photo: Julian Baumann

MK:

Wachse oder weiche

On the fascination of growth.
A fusion of theatre, cabaret and music with Maximilian Schafroth

 Schauspielhaus
 World premiere
 Premiere: 24.10.2025
 2 hours 10 minutes with intermission (20 minutes)
 With English surtitles
 Thu-Sat: 15-45 €, Sun-Wed: 10-40 €, under 30 years each seat category: 10 €
 Schauspielhaus
 World premiere
 Premiere: 24.10.2025
 2 hours 10 minutes with intermission (20 minutes)
 With English surtitles
 Thu-Sat: 15-45 €, Sun-Wed: 10-40 €, under 30 years each seat category: 10 €

An evening featuring cooperative banks, a giant pumpkin and Allgäu blues

Maximilian Schafroth is known for his sharp and tender perspective and sees himself as a mediator of the friction between town and country. For his debut theatre piece, he is evoking the world down on the farm as well as everyday life in the state capital. And to do so, he is dumping a field into the theatre, inviting the audience to witness the merger of two cooperative banks and cultivating a giant pumpkin that leads to seriously frayed tempers.

The same rule applies in the countryside and the city: those who fail to move with the times die out. Either milk (the system) and skim (the profits) – or make way for others. Everyone is labouring under this pressure, but while some jump on the bandwagon, others dig in to try and resist displacement. Is it possible that the dramas of everyday life in the village are not so different from those in the city after all?

For this performance, the Kammerspiele ensemble is merging with Maximilian Schafroth’s own team to create an evening of musical theatre ranging from raucous Allgäu blues to traditional trio singing from the outback of Old Bavaria.

In 1924, Adolf Kaufmann saved the Kammerspiele by hiring Karl Valentin and Liesl Karlstadt. This established the tradition of combining drama and political cabaret which continues to be shaped to this day by Gerhard Polt and the Biermösl Blosn, among others. Now, Maximilian Schafroth is returning to the Kammerspiele where he began his stage career in the youth theatre. He currently tours with his own show, has played the Lenten Preacher at the Nockherberg satirical roast from 2019 until 2025 and voices the animated character of Pumuckl.

“If politics is increasingly based on polarisation, driving in the proverbial wedge, then it’s up to the arts – all of them, from political cabaret to theatre and music—to dissolve this wedge with bubbling creativity. And I’m really up for that.”

– Maxi Schafroth

In cooperation with
  • Assistant to the Director Constanze Nogueira Negwer
  • Stage Design Assistant Katharina Quandt, Hannah Grimme
  • Costume Design Assistant Sophie Höper
  • Stage Management Stefanie Rendtorff
  • Prompter Verena Rendtorff
  • Artistic Production Management Daniela Schroll
  • Technical Production Management Erik Clauß
  • Stage Master Thomas Graml
  • stage machinery Michael Preusser, Manuel Weber
  • Signal box Michael Barth
  • Lighting Felix Adams, Parthasarathi Sampath Kumar, John-Philipp Schoch
  • Sound Korbinian Wegler, Thomas Schlienger
  • mask Elvira Liesenfeld, Nicola Richter-Okegwo
  • costume Angelika Stingl, Pavla Engelhardtova, Antonia Motz
  • Props Heidemarie Sänger, Dagmar Nachtmann
  • carpentry shop Franz Wallner
  • carpentry workshop Hannes Bickelbacher, Wolfgang Mechmann, Hannes Zippert, Ellen Bosse
  • Metalwork Fritz Würzhuber, Jürgen Goudenhooft
  • wallpapering Maria Hörger, Anja Gebauer, Tim Hagemeyer, Tobias Herzog
  • art room Evi Eschenbach, Jeanette Raue, Ingrid Weindl, Natalie Knäble
  • theater sculpture Maximilian Biek
  • Many thanks to Jan-Christoph Gockel
  • Thanks to Raphael Dwinger
c
Julian Baumann

Learn more about the production (in German)

Press reviews

“The actors demonstrate first-class musical talent, accompanied by Markus Schalk as a pure musician and, alternately, the ensembles Die Perlseer (at the premiere) and Reiwas.(…)The musical interludes are stylishly arranged across all genres, from Allgäu rap to blues. And the power of Maxi Schafroth’s singing voice is always a stunning effect.”

nachtkritik.de • 25.10.25

“A jam-packed evening full of kaleidoscopic perspectives, which works best when you no longer perceive the unusual mixture of cabaret and theater as such.(…)You quickly find yourself immersed in an astonishing mélange, in which cabaret and theater blend together in a wondrous way and are given additional color by the music—for example, by the Perlsee ladies’ trio.”

Bayerischer Rundfunk • 25.10.25

“Maxi Schafroth is celebrated at the Kammerspiele theater.(…)all of this puts you in a good mood. It’s funny, you can count on the punchlines, and it’s obvious that the performers on stage are having fun too. And then there’s Markus Schalk, the all-round guitarist.”

 

 

Süddeutsche Zeitung • 25.10.25

“Great fun at the Kammerspiele.”

Abendzeitung • 26.10.25

“With his production, Schafroth proves himself a worthy successor to legendary cabaret artists such as Karl Valentin, Gerhard Polt, and Biermösl Blosn.”

Münchner Merkur

Dates & Tickets

  • Mon 10.11. 8 – 10:10 pm
    For TUM students 5€ Monday subscription
  • Thu 20.11. 8 – 10:10 pm

    Introduction from 7:30 pm

    Thursday subscription
  • Wed 3.12. 8 – 10:10 pm
    Wednesday subscription
  • Mon 15.12. 8 – 10:10 pm
  • Sun 18.1.26 4 – 6:10 pm
    Sunday afternoon subscription
    On sale from 1.12.
  • Sat 14.2.26 8 – 10:10 pm
    Saturday subscription
    On sale from 5.1.26
  • Fri 20.3.26 8 – 10:10 pm
    Friday subscription
    On sale from 2.2.26
Wachse oder weiche
  • Schauspielhaus
  • World premiere
  • Premiere: 24.10.2025
  • 2 hours 10 minutes with intermission (20 minutes)
  • With English surtitles
  • Thu-Sat: 15-45 €, Sun-Wed: 10-40 €, under 30 years each seat category: 10 €