About the work
“Ellen Babić” is a three-hander by Marius von Mayenburg and belongs, with “Ex” and “Egal”, to a trilogy about couples and power relations. It premiered on 26 December 2022 under the title “Ellen B.” at the National Theatre of Iceland in Reykjavík. The first German-language production, directed by Oliver Reese, opened on 24 February 2024 at the Berliner Ensemble; in Vienna the play was staged by Thomas Jonigk on 15 February 2025 together with “Egal”.
Plot
The teacher Astrid has lived for many years with Klara, a much younger former pupil. Her superior Wolfram announces a visit that is meant to seem casual but comes about a serious matter: it concerns the pupil Ellen Babić, who never appears on stage. If the accusation is true, Astrid faces criminal consequences, and the conversation grows more and more threatening.
Cultural significance
In this play Mayenburg combines the suspense of a crime drama with questions of power and dependence in relationships and of how accusations of abuse are handled. Critics read it against the background of the MeToo debate; the Berlin German-language premiere received a partly reserved response.