Swiss satire desk picks six shows for the new theatre season

SRF’s satire desk recommends six productions for the start of the new theatre season, ranging from cabaret and comedy to small-scale performance art.

Patti Basler and Philippe Kuhn

In Postmodern Talking, cabaret artist Patti Basler and musician Philippe Kuhn survey human history and identify Modern Talking as its cultural high point. Their linguistic journey stretches from Rainer Maria Rilke and Johanna Spyri to modern incel hate campaigns. Basler also adopts more reflective tones in the new programme.

Postmodern Talking premieres on September 25, 2026, at the Kurtheater Baden, a theatre.

Helenka

Singer and actor Helenka explores artistic failure alongside musicians Simon Althaus and Pascal Lüthi. The trio tells the stories of artists waiting in vain for their breakthrough, asking what becomes of art when it is not art. The answer, SRF writes, is freedom, along with the possibility of a song, a character or a magical stage moment filled with unintended comedy and quiet poetry.

Kei Kunst premieres on October 16, 2026, at Kleintheater Luzern, a theatre.

Zarina Tadjibaeva

In Bei uns ist alles in Ordnung!, singer and actor Zarina Tadjibaeva examines ties maintained across distance. The production follows her correspondence with family in Tajikistan, where the repeated phrase “Everything is fine” did not reflect life during the civil war or in the diaspora.

Tadjibaeva combines these personal stories with reflections on war and globalisation, adding humour to make difficult subjects easier to digest. The play premieres on November 21, 2026, at the sogar Theater Zürich, a theatre.

Valerio Moser

In his solo show Mannomann, slam poet Valerio Moser takes aim at male stereotypes. Experiences including a boy being mocked for wearing a pink shirt helped shape the production.

Moser treats masculine stereotypes with playful energy while also creating unsettling moments. The show aims to entertain and encourage audiences to look more closely and cry more often. It premieres on October 23, 2026, at Kleintheater Luzern.

Julia Steiner

Julia Steiner is returning with her second solo show after impressing audiences with her debut three years ago. The comedian combines slam poetry, theatrical moments and stand-up comedy.

Her first programme also addressed difficult subjects, including her father’s early death and her anxiety disorder. She plans to retain the same distinctive mix of honesty and charm in Schuldig, which premieres on April 2, 2027, at Casinotheater Winterthur, a theatre.

Dominik Muheim

As a slam poet, author and cabaret artist, Dominik Muheim turns observations from everyday life into philosophical stories. His new programme draws on the emotions of becoming a father last year.

Although he never intended to create a “Help, I’m becoming a dad” programme, the experience now features in the show. He recounts the journey to hospital for the birth of his son and develops this brief private moment into an evening-length performance.