Berlin - Failed States One: Somalia

Last week, I was lucky enough to be sent off to Berlin to meet documentary theatre Director Hans-Werner Kroesinger, and watch his new play, Failed States One: Somalia. This is the first in the series of Failed States with Hebbel Am Ufer. 

 

I met Hans-Werner in the café of HAU1 after a mad dash from the airport and an extremely expensive taxi ride; it was safe to say I stuck to the tube after this. It was really interesting to find out more about his work on Somalia in caparison to NTW’s work on De Gabay. He tackles political issues on the history and journey of Somalia, mainly focusing on its capital, Mogadishu. 

 

The piece began with the audience all together staring at a projection of the ocean on a corrugated large metal fence. We are then split into three groups, taken to different parts of the theatre and treated in a specific way. My group was treated like tourists; we were taken to the highest circle, looking down at the projection and told about Italian Somalia, pirates and the exportation of bananas. Sounds of typical holiday music accompanied this. We were finally brought together on stage, behind the corrugated fence.

 

The third section was much more theatrical and physical than the other two. On arrival there were sounds of symbols creating a very subdued atmosphere. The outline of Somalia had been created on a fence hanging from the rigs. Again there was a projection of the sea to the left of the stage; this would later project a live drawing of a scene from the invasion of US troops in Mogadishu, 1994. A round ‘news’ table sat underneath the projection as the actors transformed from politicians, to newsreaders, to Somalian pirates, to American soldiers. The corrugated fence is finally lifted to reveal a catwalk over the seats we originally sat in. The actors sway droning a pirate song combined with sounds of the automated symbols as the lights go down.

  

Hans-Werner Kroesinger’s work;

  • He undergoes an extensive yearlong research process where he reads hundreds and hundreds of documents
  • His actors will spend 4 weeks dissecting the selected documents
  • He often splits his audiences into three groups who will undergo three different experiences. They will then come together at the end for the final section of the performance. The theory behind this is for the audience to perceive this last part in different ways depending on the journey they had just been on
  • His work contains heavy factual text throughout, so make sure you are ready to work
  • He is one of the leading directors in Documentary Theatre 

It was a real pleasure to meet Hans-Werner Kroesinger and I hope he is able to see De Gabay in March. If you ever get the opportunity to see his work, I highly recommend it. 

 

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