About Sven Ratzke

Over a career spanning more than two decades Sven Ratzke has become that rare thing: a cabaret superstar. The Dutch/German singer, entertainer and actor was hailed by the British newspaper The Herald as a ‘Cabaret Supernova’ and by Time Out Magazine New York ‘As one the best cabaret performers of his generation’.

He has appeared at many prestigious venues around the world including Lincoln Center NYC, Concertgebouw Amsterdam, Bertolt Brecht’s Berliner Ensemble, Mexico City Opera House, Stadsaal Wien, Paradiso Amsterdam, Town Hall Auckland and Arts Center Melbourne. Ratzke’s shows Starman, Homme Fatale and Where are we now all toured internationally to critical acclaim. His show Starman, which featured the music of David Bowie, was a smash hit at the 2016 Edinburgh Fringe Festival (winner Best Festival Show), toured around the globe and was nominated for the Australian The Helpmann Award. Ratzke starred since 2013 as Hedwig in the Berlin production of Hedwig and the Angry Inch, and was hailed by the show’s creator, John Cameron Mitchell, as “the best Hedwig I’ve ever seen!”

His other European Musical credits are the MC in Cabaret and Dr Frank’n Furter in The Rocky Horror Show which won him a Musical Award for the best lead. Since 2023 Ratzke performed more then 200 times to highly critical acclaim Marlene Dietrich in a the Berlin production of Marlene at the Renaissance Theater Berlin which toured Germany, The Netherlands and Belgium. Ratzke has worked with numerous legendary performers including Nina Hagen, Rufus Wainwright, Fassbinder muse Hanna Schygulla, Grammy-nominated opera singer Claron McFadden, cult band The Tiger Lillies, NYC icons Justin Vivian Bond and Joey Arias and fashion designer like Thierry Mugler, Jan Jansen, Max Mara and Viktor & Rolf. He also collaborated on his projects with acclaimed writers like Connie Palmen and Philippe Claudel. Ratzke toured with several Orchestra’s like Grammy Winning The Metropole Orchestra, The German WDR Funkhaus Orchester, Asko Schönberg Ensemble, PHION and the Holland Baroque Orchestra. Since 2017 Ratzke expended also his artistic horizon into Television, creating his own talk/ music show for German national Television (ARD) called „Ratzke’s Rendezvous“ and made several Music specials for National German and Dutch Television.