Ganesh versus the Third Reich: Back to Back Theatre in Paris

Back to Back Theatre presents Ganesh versus the Third Reich at the Théâtre de la Cité internationale from November 17 to 21, 2026, as part of the Festival d’Automne. This revival juxtaposes a fable set in Nazi Germany with a company’s discussions about how to tell it.

In the first story, the Hindu god Ganesh sets out to reclaim the swastika, a symbol appropriated by Hitler’s regime. The other story shifts the focus to the performers: what stories can they embody, and what responsibilities do they take on by bringing them to the stage?

• To be read
• The best things to do in Paris and Île-de-France from November 2 to 8, 2026

Created in 2011, the play thus examines the representation of disability and cultural appropriation. Four of the five performers are neurodivergent; the fifth plays an authoritarian director. The fiction and the company’s work resonate with one another, without being limited to a historical re-enactment.

Bruce Gladwin directs and designs the set for this Australian production. Simon Laherty, Scott Price, Tamika Simpson, Brian Tilley and David Woods are listed in the cast for this Paris run. The show is performed in English with French surtitles.

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