World Class theatre
made in Switzerland.

Current productions:

TICKETS:

theaterhechtplatz.ch

CAST:

Florence: Anikó Donáth
Cosme: Tim Hunziker
Maria/ Dorothy/ Mrs. Verrinder-Gedge: Elisabeth Graf

AUTHOR:

Peter Quilter

CREATIVES:

Director: Mitch Sebastian
Assistant Director: Gianni Pfister
Set Design: Simone Baumberger, Simon Schmidmeister
Costume Design: Judith Rubin
Hair and Make up: Tanja Maria Koller
Video: Markus Ludstock
Lighting, Sound and Crew: Simon Schmidmeister, Mathias Kilga, John Schuhmacher

PRODUCERS:

THE NEST COMPANY
Producer: Isabelle Flachsmann & Mitch Sebastian
Administration: Jasmine Berger
Production Manager: Lara Anderegg

THEATER AM HECHTPLATZ
Artistic Directors: Ariane Russi, Christina Teuber
Technical Director: David Baumgartner
PR & Marketing: Anja Puchert
Administration: Elena Boeck
Public Service Director: Sandra Rohner
Hospitality: Nadja Wellinger

SPECIAL THANKS:

Christina Teuber & Ariane Russi Theater am Hechtplatz
Ginger Hebel Tagblatt der Stadt Zürich

We are…

a professional theatre company that produces theatre in both English and the national languages of Switzerland.

Based in Canton Zürich…

we strive to connect the different language regions of Switzerland, building productions designed for national and international success.

We are a company of…

leading Swiss talent
graduate apprentices
international guest artists 

The Nest Co. Pillars

The Nest Co. Pillars

Celebrate

We celebrate the legacy of the Broadway and West End traditions. We celebrate the legacy of the Broadway and West End traditions. We bring international artists of the highest caliber into Switzerland to collaborate with our artists and inspire our community. While honouring the legacy of the Broadway tradition we aim to break new ground by producing Swiss premieres and original works. We tour our productions and share our values. Our apprenticeship program mentors emerging Swiss talent into the professional entertainment industry. Through our community outreach programs we connect with the needs of the people and businesses around us to better tell their stories.
Celebrate Elevate Educate Innovate Associate

We are…

a professional theatre company that produces theatre in both English and the national languages of Switzerland.

Board

Mitch
Sebastian

Co-Founder, artistic director

Isabelle
Flachsmann

Co-Founder, president

Jasmine
Berger

Administration

Markus
Güdel

Company

Coming soon!

Contact

The NEST Company
Steinbrüchelstrasse 2
8053 Zürich

"*" indicates required fields

Consent*

Nurturing the finest Swiss talent across all the disciplines of theatre-making. 

Mitch Sebastian

Co-Founder, artistic director

Creative Director, Mitch Sebastian has over 30 years of experience in the entertainment industry.

A career that spans the world of Broadway Theatre, Television, Stadium Concerts and Ceremonies, and Immersive Art Exhibitions.

He started his career performing in West End Musicals CABARET (Novello Theatre) STARLIGHT EXPRESS (Apollo Victoria Theatre) CATS (New London Theatre) CHILDREN OF EDEN (Prince Edward Theatre) LES MISERABLES (Palace Theatre) He appeared in the Broadway production of THE WHO’S TOMMY and the European premieres of Stephen Sondheim’s FOLLIES and PACIFIC OVERTURES.

He went on to choreograph the West End productions of ROMANCE/ROMANCE (Gielgud Theatre) PLAYHOUSE CREATURES (Old Vic Theatre) LA CAVA (Victoria Palace and Piccadilly Theatre)

In 2003 he directed and choreographed the OLIVIER AWARD CEREMONY.

Sebastian is responsible for creating the hit West End show THE RATPACK LIVE FROM LAS VEGAS.

(Olivier Award nom. WhatsOnstage Award nom.) which originally ran for four years. (Haymarket Theatre Royal, Novello Theatre, Savoy Theatre) and was revived in 2009 (Adelphi Theatre) 2018 (Haymarket Theatre Royal) He also directed the film of the stage show for PBS Television.

In 2007, Sebastian launched Britain’s new Open-air Theatre at Kilworth House with THE PIRATES OF PENZANCE and remained in residence until 2015 directing nine landmark productions.

In London he collaborated with composer, Stephen Schwartz on a new version of PIPPIN (Menier Chocolate Factory) and is credited for his contribution to the subsequent Broadway revival. In the USA he worked with Paula Abdul on a new entertainment CHEER! and with Hiroaki Omote in Japan to generate SAVIOUR IV a multimedia series.

In the USA Sebastian directed and choreographed the regional premier of MATILDA in Chicago (Drury Lane Theatre) and choreographed MAMMA MIA (Ordway Theatre) Minneapolis St Paul (Broadway World Award nom. Best Choreographer)

Sebastian is also widely known for his work as a choreographer creating pop videos and staging TV appearances for many artists over the years. Most notably The Spice Girls, Destiny’s Child and Bjork. For ten years he was Creative Director of the famous WIG PARTY raising funds for N.A.T and Elton John’s Aids Foundation.

Over the past decade Sebastian has conceived the following original shows:

THE OPERA SHOW (World Tour) ONE (Tel Aviv) WOW (Eilat, Las Vegas) EVOLUTION (Shenzhen, Guangzhou) VICTOR (Wanda Group Beijing) POR SIEMPRE NAVIDAD (Bogota) PETER PAN (Bogota) and directed at both the LARNACA ARTS FESTIVAL (Cyprus) and BAALBEK FESTIVAL (Lebanon)

Recently he was commissioned to create the World Premiere of an immersive exhibition VIVA FRIDA KAHLO which opened in Zurich (Maag Licht Halle) before playing many cities throughout Europe.

During the past two years he was involved in the Opening Ceremony of the FIFA WORLD CUP QATAR (creative consultant) WORLD EXPO DUBAI (creative director) and has been the creative director for the Opening Ceremony of the SAUDI GAMES 2022 and 2023.

Mitch appears in the feature film documentary UPROOTED the history of Jazz Dance released on HBO MAX in 2023

He is executive producer and director of the ‘German language premier’ of BILLY ELLIOT due to open in Zurich autumn 2024 at the Maag Halle.

Isabelle Flachsmann

Co-Founder, president

Isabelle Flachsmann is a Swiss actress, director, choreographer, writer, songwriter and producer with over 30 years of experience in the entertainment industry.

Her varied background gives her the capacity to see the whole picture when creating theatre at the helm of Zeitgeist.

Flachsmann has worked on Broadway and internationally in over 40 productions. She has been nominated for the Prix Walo and the Swiss Comedy Award on several occasions.

Favourite roles performed include: Sally Bowles in CABARET, Velma Kelly in CHICAGO, Inga in YOUNG FRANKENSTEIN (Swiss premiere), Emmi in GUT GEGEN NORDWIND, Sally Simpson in THE WHO’S TOMMY (European Broadway production), Stephanie Mangano in SATURDAY NIGHT FEVER (European Tour), Pearl in STARLIGHT EXPRESS, Ann Darrows in KING KONG (Swiss premiere), Zorah in DIE PATIENTEN (world premiere), Narrator in JOSEPH AND THE AMAZING TECHNICOLOR DREAMCOAT, Eva Lechner in DAS BUCHENWALDLIED (world premiere) and Rachel in GREATEST DAYS (Swiss premiere). Isabelle was part of the famous American dance line-up the RADIO CITY ROCKETTES.

As a singer Isabelle had a record deal with Warner Records Germany and has hit the popcharts in several countries. She has performed at Hallenstadion Zürich as a special guest vocalist for ART ON ICE and as opening act for ENERGY STARS 4 FREE. As a swing and jazz vocalist she performed at New York Supper Club for Mercedes Ellington.

Isabelle is co-founder and co-producer of the Swiss comedy line-up DIE EXFREUNDINNEN with performances at Maag Halle Zürich, Arosa Humorfestival, das Zelt and other luminous locations throughout Switzerland.

Flachsmann has written two musicals, four comedy programs and a musical review, which collectively reached an audience of over 100’000 visitors. Her first screenplay is in preproduction.

Occasionally Isabelle can be seen on the screen, for example in the German film Ruhm opposite Senta Berger and Stefan Kurt. More recently she completed shooting the pilot for House of Switzerland in London, a new comedy series.

As a director and /or choreographer she has brought to the stage following shows:

FOOTLOOSE, FLASHDANCE, (German language premiere), SATURDAY NIGHT FEVER, DADDY COOL, CHICAGO, DER LÖWE DER NICHT SCHREIBEN KONNTE, SONGS FOR A NEW WORLD, SECHS TANZSTUNDEN IN SECHS WOCHEN, KING KONG, TICK TICK BOOM and GENERATION OHNE ABSCHIED (Nomination: face of the year award)

Isabelle has performed on Swiss and German TV and was featured on following US shows: the Today Show, Tony Awards, David Letterman, the Thanksgiving Day Parade and the Morning Show.

Flachsmann will portray Mrs. Wilkinson in the German language premiere of BILLY ELLIOT due to open autumn 2024 at Maag Halle Zürich.

Jasmine Berger

Administration

Jasmine Berger is a lawyer. She grew up in Bern and completed her master’s degree with a focus on International & European Law. During her studies, she worked in an architecture firm and for Aqua-Spa-Resorts AG (Solbad Schönbühl & Thermalbad Zürich). After completion of her studies, she lived in Gstaad for a year and worked in the hotel industry. In 2015, she moved back to Zurich, where she has been a lawyer since. She has a wide range of interests. She loves the outdoors, meditation, yoga, walks with her dog and of course the arts, theatre and music.

Markus Güdel

Markus Güdel from Lucerne has been working as a freelance lighting designer and technical director for theater, musicals, concert and crossover projects since 2003.

Projects for the Lucerne Festival, the Central Switzerland Youth Symphony Orchestra ZJSO, Le Theatre Emmen, the violinists Patricia Kopatchinskaja and Noëlle Grüebler have taken him to venues such as the KKL Lucerne, the Glasgow Philharmonic, the Luxembourg Philharmonic, the Elbphilharmonie Hamburg and the Essen Philharmonic.   

In 2003, he founded the lighting technology company “light.vision Lichttechnik GmbH” together with business partners and has worked there as managing director and project manager ever since. In addition to his work as a lighting designer, he is also involved in various cultural institutions as a producer, technical director, board member or consultant for cultural, organizational and technical matters.

In addition to his artistic activities, he studied economics and law at the Universities of Zurich and Lucerne and graduated with a Master of Law from the University of Lucerne in 2010.

In the fall of 2015, he founded his own law firm and has since been advising and representing cultural professionals and cultural enterprises on legal issues in the cultural sector as a lawyer under the label “kulturjurist.ch”.

Instagram

Melissa Tranchet

Melissa Tranchet is a performing artist and passionate educator who specializes in bringing communities together through theatrical courses and experiences.

As a graduate of the University of Michigan’s prestigious Musical Theatre B.F.A. program and as a member of the Actor’s Equity Association, Melissa performed professionally in New York City and toured the United States in such shows as Oklahoma!, NINE, Merrily We Roll Along, Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat, Cinderella, Brigadoon, My Fair Lady, and many more.

Melissa’s creative journey in Switzerland has led her to direct, choreograph, perform, and teach with various groups including Zürich International School, The Theater Arts Collaborative, Close Encounters Theatre, Konservatorium Winterthur, ComunicArt, Jugendstimmen Zürich, Places! Adliswil, and the Vollgas Theater troupe through the Insieme of Luzern.  Melissa is the founder of The Practice Room, where she teaches courses in musical theatre that promote English language acquisition to her local community of Winterthur, Switzerland.