This time, the notorious DIY theater group made up of ugly puppets and beautiful people embarks on a feverish, dreamlike journey back in time to the myth-enshrouded Berlin of the 90s. It tells the story of an idyll in which the spirit of the future has already taken up residence unrecognized.
A walk-in production with lots of live music and performances. Berlin in the 90s: everyone opened a bar or a project space, there was a card culture instead of telephones, day bars instead of public viewing, coal stoves instead of central heating, no advertising, almost no stores and home furnishings came from the street. But in this utopian world, which consisted of all-night parties and endless conversations over a caipirinha in the “Brasilianer”, and in which going home at dawn to the sound of techno birds and streetcar rail grinders, showering for 50 pfennigs in the city baths and endless Sunday breakfast orgies were part of everyday life, the spirit of the future had already taken its place unrecognized. Because this world was becoming famous, world-famous. Everyone wanted to come and join in the celebrations. The spirit had sensed this and had already spied out the particularly good properties and plots of land. Of course, there is a happy ending at the end of this clever fable full of associations, slapstick and wordplay! Perhaps a utopia that offers an alternative to the madness of the present day?
In »Helmitropolis«, Das Helmi is working with a particularly large and diverse ensemble. In addition to the video collective Institut für experimentelle Angelegenheiten and the performer Tania Elstermeyer, amSTARt – Impressario Ran Huber, the musician Fee Kürten, Michael Wittsack from the Rambazamba Theater and the long-term unemployed theatre group Enttäusche Mich! are also involved. The collective has been producing at Ballhaus Ost in Helmholtzkiez and in many other (public) spaces for many years and was most recently invited to the Theatertreffen with the Zurich Lord of the Rings adaptation »Riesenhaft in Mittelerde«.
TRIGGER WARNING
Sometimes clichéd, racist and discriminatory scenes and statements are addressed.
ACCESS
There is complete freedom of movement. It is possible to leave the performance at any time without attracting attention. Free movement within the performance is even encouraged. There are only a few official seats. It is also possible to sit on stage elements. However, these must be freed when the actors need to use them. Parts of the performance are not barrier-free. Parts of the piece are in difficult language. There will be flickering light and moments of darkness/with reduced lighting.
A production by Das Helmi in cooperation with Ballhaus Ost. Supported by the Berlin Senate Department for Culture and Social Cohesion and the Fonds Darstellende Künste with funds from the Federal Government Commissioner for Culture and the Media.
