Keep on searching for a heart of gold in Berlin

I spent again some three weeks in Berlin. This was a final phase for bigNOTWENDIGKEIT's (BN) project revolving around Medea by Euripides.

It was really nice to work again with Anna and Katharina, the director-duo of BN, and Anna-Katharina and Esther, two actresses whom I also worked with before. I also made some new friends with this project; Sahar, a very nice actress bubbling with positive energy, and Wolfram; a real priceless go-doer in bringing the set elements to life. All in all it was very rewarding to work with this ensemble, somehow we hit it off pretty well. I'm looking forward to take the production to Zürich next month with them.

The approach to this classic text was very controversial. The main goal was not to present the story as such, but perhaps more to look into and study what Medea means or could represent to us and today's society. And the outcome was something more or less new. Like Stefan Rusconi, a jazz-musicial and cultural advisor, says in his cultural tips in "Rundfunk Berlin-Brandenburg"-tv:
"Es ist Dialog. Es ist Pop. Es ist Pantomime. Es hat Geschwindigkeit, aber auch Ruhe und das ist ein interessantes Potpourri. Ich denke das ist ein sehr sehenswertes Stück." (yeah, we made it to the telly=)

We performed on three evenings on the Hochzeitsaal in Sophiensaele and the audience was sort of plenty and quite appreciated our interpretation. All I heard afterwards was pretty positive. That's cool, since also I liked how it turned out to be. I'm quite happy about how my Medea looks at times very intimate, warm and golden, in contrast to all the horrible things they say about killing, hatred and revenge. And from the other angle, it opens up and shows all the building blocks and intestines of the production down to very last detail. - I'll post some photos later on for you to see.

Sophiensaele was a straightforward no-BS place to work and our designated technician Nicolina very nice. Technically the biggest downfall was the light console, the old war-horse MA Lightcommander 24, who had seriously seen better days, but in the end I managed to surpass the potholes of it's failing mechanics. To live is to learn, even if it's to trick the machine =)

If you missed us this time around, there will be chance to check our adaptation out in May in Fabrik Theater in Zürich (more info here). And in the end of June we'll be back in Berlin again, on stage at Theaterdiscounter on the last weekend of the month. Come to have a look if you're around!

I had also a chance to meet some friends in Berlin, which is always great. This was first time that sound designer and musician Niki Neecke participated in BN production. Niki is my old friend from Mnemopark era, so it was cool to collaborate with him again (and also to have a chance to crash on his couch fo the duration, thanx!). And once more, there was my dear friend Julia, with whom I overdosed on sushi couple of times. I also had a chance to attend to this great party thrown by a cool director Stefan Kaegi (the director of Mnemopark), where I made some new friends and met couple of ones that I hadn't seen in longest time.

It's funny how Berlin starts to feel somehow like home by now. I definately don't feel like tourist there anymore, no any kind of feeling of being compelled to run to see the Brandenburg gate or such. And I guess that I know more people in Berlin by now, than I do in Helsinki or Basel. I could definately picture myself living there. Why not...

So, Berlin, I'm glad that I visited and I'm always willing to come back to your groove! Though next time you could provide a bit better weather and exit 8-D! (Exit meaning the minor 5 hours delay with Easyjet on not so groovy Schönenfeld airport.)