During the German premiere of Tiago Rodrigues's play 'Catarina, or the Beauty of Killing Fascists' in Bochum, North Rhine-Westphalia, an actor portraying a far-right activist faced intense backlash from the audience. The incident occurred on a Saturday evening when attendees shouted down the performance, threw fruit, and attempted to invade the stage, reflecting the highly charged political climate surrounding the themes of the play. The theatre piece, which addresses the morality of violence in the fight against fascism through the lens of a family tradition of vengeance against oppressive regimes, raises complex questions about the defense of democracy.

The play’s narrative centers on the historical context of the 1954 Salazar dictatorship in Portugal, relating it to contemporary issues surrounding the rise of far-right ideologies. It explores a generational conflict within a family tradition that includes kidnapping and executing a fascist every year to commemorate the murder of Catarina Eufémia, a symbol of resistance against dictatorship. This stark portrayal of extremism through theatre was met with friction, highlighting the sensitivities in today's political discourse on such subjects.

The events at Bochum not only demonstrate the potent intersection of culture and politics but also reflect a broader social unrest against rising far-right sentiments in Europe. The reaction to the performance reveals deep divisions and the challenges that artists face when addressing contentious political realities. Such incidents underscore the importance of dialogue and discourse in understanding and confronting the complexities of freedom, extremism, and the defense of democratic values.