Premiere in the student theater: The Last Fire” delights Lübeck!

Premiere in the student theater: The Last Fire” delights Lübeck!

On June 26, 2025, the student theater at the University of Lübeck will bring the premiere of the play “The Last Fire” by Dea Loher to the stage. This production is part of a profound theater project that deals with the themes of anger, tenderness, sadness and hope. The piece originally premiered in 2008 and has since moved numerous viewers.

The action takes place in a quiet town that is shaken by disaster. Over the course of the piece, the individual processes of coping with grief and the need to continue life are impressively portrayed. These topics are particularly current and relevant in the performances, as the university representatives emphasize.

Details about the performance

The performance dates for “The Last Fire” are June 22nd, 27th and 28th and July 2nd and 4th, 2025. All performances start at 8:30 p.m., admission starts at 8:00 p.m. The location of the performances is the Old Kesselhaus on the campus of the University of Lübeck, a suitable setting for this profound presentation.

Tickets for the piece are available via the university's online portal available here.

About the background of the piece

In her work, Dea Loher interprets the classic fairy tale “Bluebeard” by Charles Perrault, which has its roots in 1697. This story, which has been adapted in various forms over the centuries, addresses the dark aspects of family bonds and the power relationships between the sexes. The focus is on Heinrich Blaubart, a women's shoe salesman who projects himself into the ideals of various women and is shaped by his relationships with his partners. The motif of Bluebeard thus transforms into a reflection on the hope of women in difficult life situations.

A central motif in Loher’s adaptation is loneliness, which is symbolized by dance, particularly tango. The exchange between characters is presented as a type of communication that occurs both physically and emotionally. Dances featured in the piece represent the desire for human connection and the challenges that come with it.

The events surrounding Julia, Heinrich's first wife, are also discussed in this context. She takes her own life out of love and thus becomes the ideal woman in his eyes. This raises profound questions about the contradictions in love and the definition of “wrong,” which are reflected by the performers and the viewer.

The students from grade 12A of the Tübingen Free Waldorf School who are involved in the production bring their own thoughts and emotions into the performance. An open dialogue about the topics of grief, longing and the existential questions of life is encouraged. The class supervisor Jürgen Bauer and the team, directed by Volker Schubert, dealt intensively with the emotions and motifs of the piece in order to create a touching theater experience.