Berlin, capital of the GDR, 1988/89. A German-German family story is told against the glamorous backdrop of the Friedrichstadt-Palast. The solo dancer Chris suddenly faces her hitherto unknown twin sister Marlene from West Germany. Both try to get behind the family secret that led to their separation shortly before the Wall was built in 1961.

Between 2020 and 2021, I had the immense honour to work alongside director Uli Edel and the Friedrichstadt-Palast to concept and stage direct the show scenes of this landmark TV production. The series, produced by Constantin Television, tells the story of divided Germany, and how, only month before German reunification, a new society dreamed up a new form of show seemingly unprecedented at this theatre.

While all the scenes were built on the theatre’s existing terpsichorean repertoire and a very distinct revue revue performance vocabulary, the series’ author, Rodica Döhnert, and visionary director Uli Edel required the scenes to express a historical and dramatic development in theatrical terms, which had to fit into the current stage setup (a show called VIVID at the time). Together with the two choreographers of this season (Tini Bach & Liam Scullion), we sculpted the revue moments so as to help to series‘ plot advance through dance and spectacle.

Services

• Creative consulting on the interface between the Friedrichstadt-Palast and Constantin Television on all of the 5 on-stage show scenes of the series.
• Creative Direction and Show Direction for the on-stage scenes and show moments, in cooperation with both the Friedrichstadt-Palast’s and Constantin Television’s Creative Departments, series director Uli Edel and cinematographer Hannes Hubach.
• Consulting on historical revue practice, and implications of staging this in a contemporary context.
• Advising on cultural references, aesthetics, and helping source costumes and props.
• Supporting the team on show directing (storyboarding, show flows, special effects, aerials, choreographic blockings, scenographic approaches) as well as show producing (production plans, rehearsal plans, stage practice, liaising between the various departments).

Creative Team

Buch Rodica Doehnert
Regie Uli Edel
Kamera Hannes Hubach
Editor Christoph Strothjohann
Musik Martin Lingnau & Ingmar Süberkrüb
Szenenbild Jerome Latour
Kostümbild Monika Jakobs, Anke Baier, Stephan Bolz (Show-Bild „Traumvisionen“)
Maskenbild Jeanette Latzelsberger, Gregor Eckstein
Produktionsleitung Konstantin von Carlowitz, Daniel Rillmann
Executive Producer Oliver Berben
Produktion Constantin Television GmbH, gefördert von Medienboard Berlin-Brandenburg (MBB), FilmFernsehFonds Bayern (FFF), German Motion Picture Fund (GMPF) und Polnisches Filminstitut
Produzentin/Produzenten Rüdiger Böss, Kathrin Bullemer, Fritz Wildfeuer
Redaktion Matthias Pfeifer, Ronja Reitzig, Günther van Endert, Frank Zervos

Show Producer Andy Machals
Choreographers Tini Bach & Liam Scullion
Lighting Designer Marcus Bosdorf

The creative, technical and theatrical departments of the Friedrichstadt-Palast Berlin.
General Director Dr. Berndt Schmidt
Administrative Director Guido Herrmann
Creative Director Oliver Hoppmann and Team.
Ballet Director Alexandra Georgieva, Maik Damboldt, and Team.
Lighting Director Andy Stübler, and Team.
Technical Stage Crew Peter Müller, Josef Jung, and Crew.
Hydraulics & Automation Honca Rosenbaum, Martin Zernickow, and Team.
Stage Management: Steffen Liebsch, and Team.
Events Constantin Lülsdorf, Inken Lummer, Nora Botzenhardt, and Team.
Costume Direction Elisabetta Pian, and Team.
Hair & Makeup Direction Antje Potthast, and Team.
Young Show Tinka Tarelkin, Sophie Relitz, and Team.

Photos by ZDF/Constantin Television/Julia Terjung.