At the Landestheater

Supermodel Bar Refaeli inspired theater play

Supermodel Bar Refaeli joins the Salzburg Landestheater from today! At least indirectly. Because she was the reason why intimate WhatsApp chats are now being read out on stage.

"I read an interview with Bar Refaeli. It was actually boring, but I got stuck on one question. 'What is your family chat on Whatsapp called? That gave me the idea for my play," says director Ronnie Brodetzky.

In keeping with the signal color of the short messaging service, the ensemble also appears in green costumes(Bild: Tschepp Markus)

In "Whatsapp Stories", the Israeli theater maker sheds light on how the short messaging service shapes our society. The abbreviated language shapes conversations and emotions, from banal comments to tragic messages of fate. Brodetzky collected dozens of conversations from her family and circle of friends for her play. She brings them to the stage 1:1: "I certainly didn't want to embellish the conversations. All the spelling mistakes have been retained in the stage version." These are realized on stage with special sound effects, among other things.

Ronnie Brodetzky directs the play "Whatsapp Stories"(Bild: Tschepp Markus)

The one-and-a-half-hour play is celebrating its premiere in Austria today. In Brodetzky's native Israel, the world premiere took place in the summer of 2023. "That was before October 7. Since then (large-scale terrorist attack on Israel by the Islamist Hamas, editor's note), I have developed the play further. The new version also incorporates the politically difficult times we are currently facing in Israel."

The Israeli is particularly excited about the reactions of the Salzburg audience. "In some places they will react completely differently, like the audience in Israel. But as long as they find themselves somewhere, I'm happy."