In our latest Berlin premiere, we focus on the most powerful weapon of populist politicians: the lie. The presidential election in the USA, in which a shameless liar triumphed, has recently shown how effectively this age-old means of gaining power can be used. But the rise of right-wing nationalist forces in other parts of the world also often goes hand in hand with the targeted use of untruths, disinformation and fake news. Even the end of the grand coalition in Berlin was justified by the breach of trust, the essential prerequisite for which is the truth. But wasn’t this alliance also based on self-deception from the outset?

 

 

With the musical theatre evening ‘The whole Truth about Lies’, we are transforming the stage into a lie detector. The production deals – sometimes tongue-in-cheek, sometimes soberly – with the truth as an abstract quantity that can have an existential effect in both the private and political spheres and bring about unexpected catastrophes.

 

The boundaries between real bodies and false images are blurred, as are those between genres. In a navigational manner, the evening moves between baroque and pop, between song, dance and text. Visually, perception is put to the test through the combination of old theatre illusions and new AI technologies.

 

 

• Georg Friedrich Händel      “Guardian angels all protect me”
               (“Triumph of Time and Truth”)
• Leonard Cohen           “Anthem”
• Mauricio Kagel          Marsch Nr. 4 aus  “10 Marches to Miss the Victory”
• Heinrich Ignaz Franz Biber   6. Satz aus Violinsonate Nr. 2
• Dmitri D. Schostakowitsch      “Truth”, Sonett von Michelangelo Buonarroti
• Sergej Rachmaninoff          “Valse and Romance” (for piano 6 hands)
• Fleetwood Mac           “Little Lies”
• Julia Stone           “By the Horns”
• Gioachino Rossini      “La calunnia è un venticello”
              ( “Der Barbier von Sevilla”)
• Frédéric Chopin          Klaviersonate Nr. 2
               (B-Moll, op. 35 - 1. Ernst - Doppelte Bewegung)
• Johann Sebstian Bach          Kunst der Fuge
• Robert Schumann         “Ich grolle nicht”
• György Ligeti              “Trio für Violine, Horn und Klavier”
• Jacques Offenbach      “Les oiseaux dans la charmille”
               ( “Hoffmanns Erzählungen”)
• Antonio Vivaldi          “Vedrò con mio diletto”
• Dmitri D. Schostakowitsch       “Tired of all these”,
                Sonett 66 von William Shakespeare
• Ralph Vaughan Williams       “In the morning”
• Barry McGuire            “Eve Of Destruction”
• Frédéric Chopin            “Trauermarsch-Sonate”
                 (3. Satz aus Klaviersonate Nr. 2)
• John Lennon           “Gimme Some Truth”

*Program is the subject to change

Nicola Hümpel | Direction, Artistic direction, Costume design 
Oliver Proske | Stage, Technical management
Paul Hübner | Musical direction 
Tobias Weber | Musical counselling
Andreas Hillger | Dramaturgy 

Yui Kawaguchi | Dance, Choreographic direction
Peyee Chen | Sopran
Andrew Munn | Bass-baritone
Annedore Kleist | Actress
Patric Schott | Actor
Martin Buczko | Dance, choreography
Florian Graul | Dance, choreography

Mathis Bereuter | Piano
Anne-Sophie Bereuter | Violin
Lucas Johnson | Percussion
Jo Ambros | Guitar, electric guitar
Paul Hübner | Trumpet 

Sebastian Reuter | Sound
Diego Muhr | Live video editing 
Torsten Podraza | Light 
Victor Ernesto Gutiérrez Cuiza | Video
Nova Krause | Video
Robin Plenio | Video 

Theresa Steinbeis | Dramaturgy assistance 
Talea Nuxoll | Artistic collaboration
Sonja Winkler | Stage design assistance
Marie Akoury | Costume
Belinda Masur | Costume

Franziska Katharina Huhn | Production
Leonie Schirra | Production