A once in a century spectacle from and with Circus Magic, glanz&krawall and KGI BRD 2021:
Resentment and hate have become so widely spread in a way that one could not have imagined a few years ago. Prior to the virus crisis, politics just like theater had no effective concepts to confront this poison. How would, in this poisonous climate, a commemoration of the 31st anniversary of German reunification look like?
With the arrival of the circus in the city normal daily life stops: we embrace the political moment to become a wild madhouse of vagabonds. At least that’s how the millennial theater creators glanz&krawall and KGI see it and with the formation of Circus Magic they have made a menage-à-trois that is dedicated to a critical de- and en-cryption of German unity. Who defines the discourse around German unity and the legacy of the DDR? Which voices remain unheard?
The spectacular circus collective „WENDECIRCUS. Berlin steht Kopf!“ (trans. Berlin standing on its head) is lifting the over simplified dichotomy of body and spirit. Together the artists, actors and musicians expand the horizon of representation and understanding of what theater is using the medium of circus and vice versa, to say things, reveal dependencies and unconscious symbolism, for which there was previously no tools available. In one action packed evening show they manage to create a common room for debate on the Peaceful Revolution, the negotiation process in 89/90 and the lost utopia.
Based on eye witness accounts they bring an unheard perspective to German reunification and expose the fragility which every narrative about unity has at its heart. With this opulent depiction of historical events WENDECIRCUS is becoming something like the spectacular circus Napoleon’s Theater Dekret (1807) was: an art extravaganza which demolishes the boundaries between trivial, high culture, peripheral and core.
In October 2021 we are celebrating their premiere in the Zirkus Mond, a circus tent for circus, theater, dance and concerts as well as a meeting place for the Berlin artiste scene with a permanent location in Berlin-Prenzlauer Berg. Afterwards the Kleist-Forum in Frankfurt (Oder) will present the spectacle at the end of October. In May 2022 the circus and theater people will return to Berlin to present the show at the Humboldt Forum, the hard fought historical place in Berlin’s Mitte district, which saw the Preussen castle and the communist Palast der Republik blown up.
The KGI group has documented the entire research, interview and rehearsal process and included all the material in the film „Abschied von Übermorgen“ (trans. The day after tomorrow takes its leave). The documentary shows the end of a theater collective threatened from going under, the custody of which falls into the Wendercircus. Which is where the collective search starts for the beginning of the end of the lost utopia that was Warsaw Pact and other big state circuses.
WENDECIRCUS Berlin steht Kopf! – Ein Jahrtausend-Spektakel von und mit Circus Magic, glanz&krawall und KGI
08.10.2021 | Starts 19:30 CET
Zirkus Mond, Lilli-Henoch-Straße 10 in 10405 Berlin-Prenzlauer Berg (S-Bahn Greifswalderstraße)
glanzundkrawall.de | Event @ Facebook
Other performances:
Sa, 09.10.2021, 19.30 Uhr Zirkus Mond
So, 10.10.2021, 16.00 Uhr Spektakel „Menschen Filme Sensationen“, Zirkus Mond
So, 10.10.2021, 19.30 Uhr Zirkus Mond
Mo, 11.10.2021, 19.30 Uhr Zirkus Mond
Fr, 29.10.2021, 19.30 Uhr Festplatz an den Messehallen, Kleist-Forum, Frankfurt (Oder)
Sa, 30.10.2021, 19.30 Uhr Festplatz an den Messehallen, Kleist-Forum, Frankfurt (Oder)
Fr, 13.05.2022 – So, 15.05.2022 wo einst der Palast der Republik stand (Schlüterhof, Humboldt-Forum, Berlin)
