Event

The Lab uses the rehearsal process to refine text, giving the audience the opportunity to voice their opinions in a discussion. The May edition features Cinders, a new piece by Neil Bristow that descends into a web of incestuous relations.

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Jean-Paul Sartre’s confrontation with communism storms the German stage with English surtitles.

Robert Wilson’s dazzling Brecht production is a must-see. Don’t know German? Just brush up on Wikipedia quickly and get to it.

The Legend of Paul and Paula is, well, legendary among GDR films. Ulrich Plenzdorf wrote a text containing both it and its sequel, premiering tonight. In German.

In 2008, Hungarian director Árpád Schilling wanted to challenge conservatives with new answers to the problems of modern society. This piece rejects traditional theatre in search of performance that transcends social classes. In English.

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Through physical acrobatics, hip hop and visual projections, the Israeli performance group Sheketak have enraptured audiences around the world. The ensemble includes dancers trained in the Batsheva Dance Company, blending modern dance and breakdance.

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Following her messianic turn in Peaches Christ Superstar and then her musical Peaches Does Herself, the musician assumes the title role in Monteverdi’s version of Orpheus and Euridice. Director Daniel Cremer transposes the action to queer culture.

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Dieter Roth wrote a book 38 years ago filled with one word – “Murmel”. 11 actors chant, shout, whisper, mumble, vocalise the word “Murmel” – German for “marble”, 14 years after Roth’s death. It’s all practical jokes, slapstick and prankster humour.

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An international cast examines life in Germany, Israel and Palestine, and the legacy of the Nazi era. With English surtitles.

A new piece by Thomas Martin and based on Yukio Mishima’s story of a woman’s decision to commit suicide following her husband’s death. In original German.

Ennio Marchetto, aka the “Living Paper Cartoon”, is a prince of entertainment. Using little more than craftily designed paper cutouts and lots of imagination, the Italian-born performer acts on a long tradition of pure comedy and social commentary.

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Wrongfully accused of murder, a medieval maiden dreams of a champion to defend her honour in Wagner's version of the classic fable. Helmed by young Danish director Kasper Holten (well, young for opera; he's 39).

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The 7 Fingers, ostensibly live in a loft flatshare populated with very flexible roommates. The meat of the show is still the acrobatic acts, but the transitional theatrical moments add something for those craving a bit more narrative drama.

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Choreographers/performers Diego Gil and Igor Dobricic have taken karaoke and turned it into a unique evening of contemporary dance. Part of Tanz Hoch Zwei, a two-week-long festival encouraging dialogue between European performance capitals.

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One of the city's best Geheimtipps, Lucky Trimmer has gained a following for their mix of choreography, circus and less-definable performance. The shows tiptoe the line between serious art and entertainment, and their sampler platter format appeases!

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A man grows up between Harlem and Jamaica, escapes into the US Army, and then becomes an active figure in the civil rights movement during the 1960s. This man is also one of most popular entertainers of all time, depicting his autobiography.

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Experimental singer, composer and orchestral player Joan La Barbara brings 20th-century avant-garde composer John Cage to the Berlin stage, challenging the traditional separation of musician and listener in the audience with adventurous excellence.

This one-woman show performed by Nicole Perrone takes the mythical figure of Cassandra, shrill prophetess of destruction, and transports her into contemporary American society as cheerleader and fast food service slave. European premiere.

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After being honoured with an invitation to the Theatertreffen 2010, the Off-Off-Broadway troupe Nature Theater of Oklahoma is back in Berlin. A multiple-hour phone conversation is set to music for the performers to sing and execute physical activity.

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The series from poet Sandra Sarala are oriented around the change in season and other natural compass points, bringing together performers from music, poetry and dance in an intimate space. The spring edition features Anja Zeilinger and more.

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Katie Mitchell’s production of avant-garde composer Luigi Nono’s 1972–74 azione scenica was the hit of the Salzburg Festival in 2009, and now the multimedia mega-opera will be restaged in the 1960s-built factory turned performance space.

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The Berlin masters of short-form improvised comedy in English are offering an evening of workshops culminating with a performance as part of IMPRO, the international festival of improvised theatre, sponsored by the Gorillas.

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Sasha Waltz, darling of the Berlin dance world, and French composer Mark Andre use the gefaltet (folded) concept to create a unique choreographed concert. This performance expands upon acoustic impulses and reactions to include movement as well.

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The opera Festtage continues with this Staatsoper premiere of Alban Berg's Lulu directed by Daniel Barenboim. Berg's prodigious language of music expresses the emotional way of the inner beings of his femme fatale Lulu and her lovers.

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Das Rheingold, first part of the Ring trilogy and seminal operatic work by German legend Richard Wagner, opens Berlin's festival of contemporary opera. Check out this masterpiece of its repertoire if only to increase your suave points.

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