37 Matchsticks | Last Performance

The play follows Elena, a live-in caregiver travelling to work for a new client in Germany. What begins as an ordinary situation gradually 'unfolds into the most unexpected plot'. The production explores 'social inequalities in Western societies' and moves along the edge of crime fiction, examining how these disparities strain human relationships and threaten the social fabric. The title references Andersen's 'The Little Match Girl', deliberately connecting to themes of vulnerability and societal indifference. Written by Zdrava Kamenova and Gergana Dimitrova (based on interviews with caregivers and agency representatives). Directed and designed by Bernhard Oustershulte. Music by Yulian Stoichkov. Puppet design by Antje Töpfer (a human-sized puppet is one of the key characters). Starring Snezhina Petrova in the lead role, with Manuela Sarkisyan, Veronik Kinen/Nevena Kaludova and Nathan Cooper. Performed in Bulgarian, German and English with Bulgarian subtitles — a Bulgarian-German co-production between four organisations.