The Mediterranean Monologues
Documentary theater about flight, sea rescues, and humanity.
26.09.2026
MUT! Theater – Amandastraße 58
Starts at 7:00 p.m.
With *Mediterranean Monologues*, *Wort und Herzschlag* is bringing a documentary theater production to Hamburg that brings to the stage the real-life experiences of people fleeing across the Mediterranean and of civilian sea rescuers.
The play centers, among others, on Naomie from Cameroon and Yassin from Libya, who find themselves on a boat heading for Europe. Their stories speak of violence and insecurity along the refugee route, of so-called coast guards and maritime rescue agencies—but also of people who stand up against death in the Mediterranean.
The play also offers insights into the work of activists with Alarmphone and Sea-Watch: people who answer emergency calls, alert rescue services, and try to save people in distress at sea from drowning.
The Mediterranean Monologues are documentary theater that faithfully reproduces the spoken word. They are based on interviews lasting several hours with those directly affected and activists. Drawing on their personal perspectives, the plays reconstruct real-life cases of sea rescues and bring to light experiences that are often obscured in public debate by statistics and political disputes.
The play by writer and director Michael Ruf—who also created the “Asylum Monologues,” “Asylum Dialogues,” “NSU Monologues,” and “Climate Monologues”—has already been performed in numerous venues and has received widespread acclaim for its direct and personal style of documentary theater.
A post-performance discussion will take place following the show. It will provide an opportunity for questions, dialogue, and a shared exploration of the topics of refugee migration, European migration policy, sea rescue, and civic engagement.
We are pleased to make the performance of the Mediterranean Monologues in Hamburg possible and, in doing so, to create a space for encounter, information, and social dialogue.
Written and Directed by: Michael Ruf
Production: Wort und Herzschlag
In cooperation with: Lemonaid & ChariTea e.V.