Berliner Ensemble is bringing 'Brecht's Ghosts' to Shanghai
Berliner Ensemble, a German theater company founded 74 years ago, will make its first visit to Shanghai for the Asian premiere of their puppet show "Brecht's Ghosts" on November 11-12 at Theater YOUNG.
Over 100 puppets, all designed by director Suse Wächter, will be on display. They are deceptively similar to Franz Kafka, Sigmund Freud, Luciano Pavarotti and Margaret Thatcher, to mention a few.
Bertolt Brecht, the Berliner Ensemble's "Household Deity," is haunted by ghosts he met during his long exile and subsequent return to Theater am Schiffbauerdamm. With two musicians and a puppeteer, the audience is drawn into a séance filled with ghostly talks, quarrels and singing.
Bertolt Brecht and his wife, actress Helene Weigel, founded the Berliner Ensemble in East Berlin in 1949. With an attitude of ongoing invention and self-examination, the troupe has written the history of modern play, increasing the social relevance that drama may examine and communicate.
Brecht was a prolific playwright who lived through five different social systems in Germany before being forced into exile when the Nazis came to power. His ups and downs made him politically sensitive throughout his life.
Shanghai is the Berliner Ensemble's only stop in China. Initially, two concerts were scheduled, and the tickets quickly sold out. To meet the demand, Theater YOUNG scheduled an additional performance on the evening of November 12.
The performances will be in German with subtitles in English and Chinese.
Performance info:
Dates: November 11, 7:30pm; November 12, 2pm and 6pm
Tickets: 180-680 yuan
Venue: Theater YOUNG
Address: 1155 Kongjiang Rd, Yangpu District 杨浦区控江路1155号