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The Wall hits the stage

Walls, walls, walls, they are all around us in many forms both physical and metaphorical, and Berlin's theatre scene is committed to celebrating the 25th anniversary of Mauerfall with myriad performances of all kinds. Here's our round-up.

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Photo by Thomas Hoepker-Magnum, Design by Amy Stafford/Blixa & Studios

From choreographed human walls to dramatized walking tours, Berlin theatre sumptuously celebrates the 25-year anniversary of the Mauerfall.

“We live in a maze of high, invisible walls created by our culture and beliefs,” says choreographer and performer Tania Garrido Monreal, to which Eduardo Esquivel from Colectivo Tú y Yo replies: “Any wall, when standing in your way, is a chance to climb and discover yourself succeeding.” Both perform at the special Lucky Trimmer: The Wall edition – an evening assembling eight different short dance pieces (Oct 31, Nov 1, Sophiensaele) dealing with the idea of the Wall in the largest sense, from commenting on communist statements from the 1960s to building a wall made of humans or aiming to withstand the wall of gender.

Walking tours are also part of the programme with the English Theatre Berlin/International Performing Arts Center series 25 Jahre Mauerfall (subtitled “How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Ossis/Wessis”). After a Mitte trip that follows the steps of historian Charles Mee, whose play Berlin Circle took a satirical look at the end of East Germany (Nov 8, 13:00, meeting at the entrance of the Berliner Ensemble), we’re invited to Kreuzberg to explore the consequences of increasing privatisation Nasty Peace, Nov 20-Dec 6).

And because 1989 was transformative in other parts of Europe as well, the Hebbel am Ufer invites artists from Romania and the Republic of Moldova for a series titled Good Guys Only Win in Movies (Nov 5-9) – featuring Alexandra Pirici re-enacting the first free TV broadcast during the Romanian Revolution and Nicoleta Esinencu telling a bizarre American Dream story.

German speakers can make the most of rich thematic programmes at Theaterdiscounter’s Mauerfälle Festival (Nov 1-8), and at the Deutsches Theater with Die Schönheit Von Ost-Berlin (Nov 7, 9, 18, 27), a tribute to West German author Ronald M. Schernikau, who emigrated to the East shortly before the fall of the Wall and died of AIDS two years later.