Lee Miller in Hitler’s Bathtub
- a tragic cantate -
Composition Maarten Seghers
Libretto, direction and scenography Jan Lauwers
Performed by
Lee Miller - actress Romy Louise Lauwers
Lee Miller - mezzo-soprano Kate Lindsey
Man Ray George van Dam
a five-person music ensemble
Musicians for Vienna
Piano, violin George van Dam
Contrabassoon Nikolett Fretyan (Cover: Kiss Beatrix)
Trombone Franz Geroldinger
Cello Jan Ryska (Cover: Amann Hannah)
Percussion Michael Kahlig (Cover: Waltersdorfer Leonhard)
Conductor Daniel Kurland
Developed with
Piano, violin George van Dam
Contrabassoon Bert Helsen
Trombone Adrien Lambinet
Cello Simon Lenski
Percussion Aya Suzuki
Dramaturgy Elke Janssens
Assistant to the director Emily Hehl
Musical advise Rombout Willems
Translation English Donald Gardner
Translation German Interlingua, Emily Hehl
Production manager Rune Floryn
Sound design Dries D'Hondt
Costume assistant Sharlotta Seeligmüller, Simon Perotti (intern)
Light assistant Astrid Vansteenkiste
Ice sculpture Benoît Gob
Surtitles Elke Janssens, Sharlotta Seeligmüller
Production Needcompany
Co-production Wiener Staatsoper, Per Podium
Thanks to Ellen Rose Kelly, ICTUS ensemble (Brussels)
Created with support of the Flemish Authorities and the Tax Shelter of the Belgian Federal Government via BNP Paribas Fortis Film Finance NV
Some scenes contain sensitive images related to child abuse and concentration camps. These subjects may be distressing or triggering for some viewers.
‘Lee Miller in Hitler’s Bathtub' is neither a historical nor biographical portrait of artist Lee Miller and should be seen as faction; combining actual historical events with fictional elements. The interpretation of the Lee Miller character is based on artistic choices and Jan Lauwers’ vision and may differ from historical documentation or biographies. Some dialogue, situations and interactions are invented.’
Not officially sanctioned by the Lee Miller Archive
June 2025 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 01 Jun | Vienna AT | Wiener Staatsoper Premiere | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 03 Jun | Vienna AT | Wiener Staatsoper | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 04 Jun | Vienna AT | Wiener Staatsoper | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 05 Jun | Vienna AT | Wiener Staatsoper | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 06 Jun | Vienna AT | Wiener Staatsoper | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 07 Jun | Vienna AT | Wiener Staatsoper | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 09 Jun | Vienna AT | Wiener Staatsoper | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
A story for two women and a few unimportant men
Lee Miller. (War) photographer and journalist, top model, cover girl, and alcoholic. Abused, scorned, adored, and discarded. And then there is that one photo: ‘Lee in Hitler’s Bathtub’. What was going through Lee’s mind when she entered Hitler’s apartment and decided to wash herself in the devil’s bathtub? The show kicks off with her standing in her stinking clothes, still permeated with the stench of death from Dachau, in front of Hitler’s bathtub.
In a flow of thoughts, Lee Miller takes the spectator through her approach to photography, and her perspective on her own body and beauty, which were so often viewed as mere objects. She describes the war images she captured, her struggle with horror and craftsmanship, in search of beauty or authenticity, absurd thoughts about Hitler and his wife Eva Braun, her Parisian connections with avant-garde artists, her relationship with Man Ray, the abuse she suffered, the painful treatment, Lee’s father who photographed her from a young age, and the nightmares that haunted her.
‘Lee Miller in Hitler’s Bathtub’ is not a biographical portrait of Lee Miller, but draws on key moments from her life to create a picture of a woman in the shadow of so many famous and infamous men. Jan Lauwers wanted to make a portrait that was no longer that of Lee but of so many women in the history of art who have been gagged.
Lee Miller in Hitler’s Bathtub
- a tragic cantate -
Composition Maarten Seghers
Libretto, direction and scenography Jan Lauwers
Performed by
Lee Miller - actress Romy Louise Lauwers
Lee Miller - mezzo-soprano Kate Lindsey
Man Ray George van Dam
a five-person music ensemble
Musicians for Vienna
Piano, violin George van Dam
Contrabassoon Nikolett Fretyan (Cover: Kiss Beatrix)
Trombone Franz Geroldinger
Cello Jan Ryska (Cover: Amann Hannah)
Percussion Michael Kahlig (Cover: Waltersdorfer Leonhard)
Conductor Daniel Kurland
Developed with
Piano, violin George van Dam
Contrabassoon Bert Helsen
Trombone Adrien Lambinet
Cello Simon Lenski
Percussion Aya Suzuki
Dramaturgy Elke Janssens
Assistant to the director Emily Hehl
Musical advise Rombout Willems
Translation English Donald Gardner
Translation German Interlingua, Emily Hehl
Production manager Rune Floryn
Sound design Dries D'Hondt
Costume assistant Sharlotta Seeligmüller, Simon Perotti (intern)
Light assistant Astrid Vansteenkiste
Ice sculpture Benoît Gob
Surtitles Elke Janssens, Sharlotta Seeligmüller
Production Needcompany
Co-production Wiener Staatsoper, Per Podium
Thanks to Ellen Rose Kelly, ICTUS ensemble (Brussels)
Created with support of the Flemish Authorities and the Tax Shelter of the Belgian Federal Government via BNP Paribas Fortis Film Finance NV
Some scenes contain sensitive images related to child abuse and concentration camps. These subjects may be distressing or triggering for some viewers.
‘Lee Miller in Hitler’s Bathtub' is neither a historical nor biographical portrait of artist Lee Miller and should be seen as faction; combining actual historical events with fictional elements. The interpretation of the Lee Miller character is based on artistic choices and Jan Lauwers’ vision and may differ from historical documentation or biographies. Some dialogue, situations and interactions are invented.’
Not officially sanctioned by the Lee Miller Archive
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