Critically acclaimed performing arts shows from Germany at Edinburgh Fringe for the country’s first showcase
Some of the best performance from the country will be staged in our capital city this August at four top fringe favourite venues under the banner of the Performing Arts: Made in Germany showcase.
Summerhall, Dancebase/Assembly, Zoo Southside and the Underbelly’s Circus Hub on the Meadows will come alive with an eclectic mix of drama, dance and circus.
The programme has been carefully curated and is and managed by Kreativ-Transfer, a project run by the German Dance Association.
The first ever German programme has been selected by an international jury with the artists chosen providing a contemporary snapshot of work being made by Germany’s performing arts scene.
Performing Arts Made in Germany supports artists before, during and after the festival and aims to offer them a platform to present their work within the vibrant, international environment of the Edinburgh Festival Fringe.
We took a peek behind the scenes to find out more about these four very different performances.
Anne Welenc – Queens
This production will take you back in history and is a modern exploration of regency, gender and power with famous historical Queens Mary Stuart and Elizabeth I, remiagined as undead drag queens.
Queens is based on critical feminist research on queens in German drama. It plays with literary, historical and pop-cultural legacies to enable new readings of the relationship between gender and power.
In it the historical figures Mary Stuart and Elizabeth I are two washed-up, undead drag queens. Joined by Penthesilea and Valkyrie, they have been living a shared existence in limbo for centuries, ruling over various sub-and parallel worlds. However, a powerful force has now opened the gates to the present, thrusting them into a confrontation with their earthly past. As they grapple with their shared history and the enduring patriarchal power structures, the idea of a joint regency emerges, sparking a bold and provocative exploration of gender, power, and identity.
Details: Main hall, Summerhall, Tuesday August 13 to Sunday August 25 (not 19th) at 21.15 and 22.15
Miller de Nobili - PACK
This energetic dance show features five dancers; Nam Tran Xuan, Niklas Capel, Egon Gerber, Anton Schalnich and Sem Deliveyne, who will leave you breathless as they test the limits of their bodies and play with group dynamics in these cleverly choreographed pieces.
As they break down the stereotypes of hip-hop culture in this vibrant dance piece you will hear their weight crashing on the dance floor and feel the breeze. Sometimes weightlessly whirling overhead, sometimes knotted up inside themselves. What connects them? What rules and roles make up their togetherness? How does a common place emerge?
Details: Studio 1, Dancebase, Tuesday 13 - Sunday 25 August 2024 (not 19), 14:40 (15:40)
Sawdust Symphony - Sawdust Symphony
What happens when carpentry and circus collide? – a lot of sawdust and a unique, family-friendly production exploring the desire to create and the relationship between humans and tools.
Reviewed as “…moments of breathtaking brilliance, inspired originality and astounding wit. Brilliant, absolutely brilliant.” In Arts Talk Magazine, the audience will see this trio of circus performers combine their passion for crafting, object manipulation and fresh wood in a “hypnotising and visually arresting” performance.
Wielding the chainsaws for this theatrical extreme DIY are Michael Zandl, David Eisele and Kolja Huneck, who said:
Details: Main House, ZOO Southside, Tuesday 13 - Sunday 25 August 2024 (not 19), 10:00 (11:00), 8+
Brace yourselves for a circus piece that literally cuts through the boundaries; will the venue still be standing after this DIY-experience? Every show promises to ignite minds and spark conversations. You’ll likely laugh, possibly cry, but we can definitely guarantee the smell of gasoline and fresh wood.
Sandra Hanschitz & Joel Beierer - IIIII - the art of letting go
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Described by one reviewer in Der Standard as ‘A small masterpiece with a massive metal hoop and a shrewd musician,’ this performance of contemporary circus, dance and sound art weave a personal and emotional journey through the pain of letting go.
At the centre is the Cyr wheel, an object which is at once powerful, stirring and fragile. Performers Hanschitz and Beierer surrender to the process of letting go as the mood changes between calm balance, loss of control and floating lightness. From raw sounds to fine beats, a live soundscape is made from the Cyr Wheel itself, in a circle of surrender, holding on and becoming free.
Details: Underbelly Circus Hub, 11:00 (12:00), 13 -25 August 2024 (not 19 August) 8+
Get tickets
For more details visit the Performing Arts Made in Germany website here.