• Stage
  • Paradise Lost ★★★

Stage

Paradise Lost ★★★

At the Neuköllner Oper, a new production directed by Peter Lund attempts to put a new spin on the creation myth. It's fun, but why not keep things simple?

Photo: Thomas Koy

This is a pleasant enough musical about musicals that unfortunately thinks it’s doing something bigger than that.

there are plenty of catchy songs and neatly-choreographed dance numbers to keep your attention

In this new production by Markus Syperek and Thomas Zaufke, mainly featuring students and graduates from the musical theatre and dance programmes of the UdK, there are plenty of catchy songs and neatly-choreographed dance numbers to keep your attention. Costumes and set design are great fun and all the cast strike you as people who’d have no problem with the vibrato from ‘Defying Gravity’ in Wicked or the tap solo in Anything Goes.

But the central conceit of the show — that they are a theatre company putting on a musical version of the Creation myth — is predictable and clunky, complete with an unseen God/di- rector who barks instructions from ‘above.’

New writing is great — but why not just do A Chorus Line? Chapeau to the snake for stealing the show.

  • Paradise Lost From November 28 Neuköllner Oper, Neukölln (in German) ★★★