„Showdown“ von Upswing im Chamäleon Berlin - Zeitgenössischer Zirkus

Date Time
5 May 2024
18:00 - 20:00

Venue

Chameleon Berlin
Rosenthaler Str. 40/41
10178 Berlin

Showdown by Upswing

Who will be the "New Face of the Circus?" asks the British company Upswing from that evening in the Chamäleon Berlin - and the audience is supposed to answer. Seven acrobats are competing; it is the chance of a lifetime, if only they believe in it. They will glide through the air on the trapeze, twist themselves towards the ceiling on ropes, let themselves be catapulted across the stage by the sling board, give everything to please. Fighting, intrigue, heartbreaking stories. Getting personal is part of it. Only the best have a chance at the title.

Or the ones that sell best?

Guests at the Chamäleon can look forward to an unforgettable evening, because Showdown is contemporary circus with a narrative voice that is the opposite of quiet. A playful satire that asks questions about diversity, identity and competition, combining biting comedy with first-class acrobatics and entertainment. What happens when identity becomes a commodity? And how far are we prepared to go for success?

“You can imagine it as a collision between a talent show, a beauty contest and the Hunger Games. The Hunger Games “, says Upswing founder and ShowdownDirector Vicki Dela Amedume on the work she developed together with award-winning comedy writer Athena Kugblenu. It is also about challenging our understanding of how talent and determination should be assessed and rewarded. "There is a fatal belief in our society that humans can only progress through the survival of the fittest - but all historical evidence suggests that the way we can not only survive but also thrive is through collaboration."

Chameleon director Anke Politz agrees - because in her view, the house's first collaboration with Vicki Dela Amedume and Upswing allows an exciting new look at contemporary circus. "Across several genres, first-class circus technique is mixed with storytelling and social criticism," says Politz. This could set an example for the global contemporary circus scene. "With this co-production, we want to show that circus entertainment has the power and methods to make social and political issues accessible to a broad audience - without claiming to be didactic, but with a clear stance."

Also for Vicki Dela Amedume, who won the title two years ago Member of the Order of the British Empire (MBE), the Chameleon is the ideal partner. "I'm always trying to find new ways in which the circus can communicate ideas that are important for the way we live today," she says. The Chameleon is a beacon for contemporary circus around the world. "It's a great honor to bring our work to this stage."

Amedume founded Upswing in London in 2006 and the ensemble has since received numerous awards. The company has performed pieces such as Ancient Futures, Bedtime Stories and Circus Flavours on international theatre and festival tours, but also organizes events such as digital circus courses in a local park or pillow fights in a library. There were also awards for short films such as Common Ground and Circus Flavours OnScreen.

Showdown will be on display at the Chamäleon for more than five months and will be accompanied by various public events. "With this production, we want to go a step further in order to live our role and responsibility as a public place and producer. We are constantly critically examining our own structures and working methods," says Anke Politz. "It is important that stages and theaters are understood as places of social interaction. We want to live artistic openness and social diversity and also redeem this through expanded access and structural decisions for artists and audiences."

In addition to the acclaimed author Athena Kugblenu, Vicki Dela Amedume has also brought the London musician Afrikan Boy into the creative team for Showdown who provided a rousing soundtrack of UK hip hop, grime and Afrobeat. Geordie Brookman also accompanied the creation of the piece as a chameleon dramaturge. The eight-person ensemble consists of a charismatic and relentless presenter and seven artists who bring a wide range of circus disciplines.

Together with them, Amedume hopes to open up new perspectives for the public: on the value of art, on the importance of competition, on the power of commerce over culture.Showdown offers an opportunity to unravel how identity is commodified and exploited in contemporary culture," she says. We are used to our bodies being judged by how they look and what they do. "But what happens when everything you are or could be can be repackaged or sold?"

Vicki Dela Amedume, Artistic Director Upswing and Director Showdown:

Vicki Dela Amedume studied as a research assistant before immersing herself in the circus world in 1997. She has performed aerial acrobatics and other circus work in the UK and internationally, working in all areas of circus, from touring with traditional circus companies to large outdoor stages and intimate touring theatres. She founded the company Upswing in 2006 to bring new talented artists and different experiences to the stage and to reflect what she describes as a dynamic and diverse world.

Always looking for innovative ways to expand the art form, Vicki Dela is a passionate Artistic Director and Director, committed to supporting established and emerging artists, whether as a visiting lecturer at Kings College London, the Central School of Speech and Drama, as well as the School of Circus and Dance at Stockholm University and the National Centre For Circus Arts and Circomedia in Bristol.

In addition to her work at Upswing, Vicki is also Associate Director at the New Vic and Creative Director at The Albany, Deptford. She has also worked with prestigious companies such as the RSC, National Theatre of Scotland, New Vic Theatre, Royal Exchange and Kenny Wax Productions and many more. Vicki Dela is Chair of the Arts Committee of the Baring Foundation and a Trustee of Dance Umbrella. She was awarded the title Member of the Order of the British Empire (MBE) two years ago (2022).

Athena Kugblenu, script:

Athena Kugblenu escaped her job as a project manager in London in time to pursue a career in stand-up comedy. An appearance at the International Comedy Festival in Johannesburg in 2017 was followed by a celebrated guest appearance at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival, and since then she has become more famous every year. She has toured with Daliso Chaponda, Nish Kumar and Fern Brady, writes for several British TV comedy shows and has her own podcast, "Keeping Athena Company". She was part of the BBC Comedy Room and was awarded the BBC's Felix Dexter Fellowship. She is also a founding member of the London improv comedy group Do The Right Scene.

African Boy, Soundtrack:

Afrikan Boy (Shola) is one of the most important artists in the British hip-hop and grime scene. He became known with the discount store anthem “One Day I Went to Lidl”, which he wrote when he was 16 and which became a viral hit via YouTube. He caused a stir in 2007 with a guest appearance on the album Kala the British rapper MIA; with DJ Shadow he later recorded the song "I'm Excited", which was named the "hottest record in the world" by Zane Lowe at the time. He is famous for his energetic live performances and has performed on stage with Paul McCartney, John Paul Jones, Baaba Maal, Damon Albarn, Seun and Femi Kuti, The Noisettes, Fatoumata Diawara and Mark Ronson. Together with Adrian Figueroa and Theresa Henning he directed the theater project "One Day I Went to *idl" at the Ballhaus Naunynstraße in Berlin - a performance by refugees and post-migrant young adults who were inspired to create their own art on stage by Afrikan Boy's first hit.

Upswing: Showdown

Season: 22 February – 28 July 2024

Length: 90 minutes plus interval

The performance on May 5, 2024 will take place with a live translation into German Sign Language.

Ticket hotline: 030 4000 590

Tickets – Online: chamaeleonberlin.com/de/

Ticket prices: 37.00 – 64.00 euros*

*Reductions are available for schoolchildren, students, trainees, people doing federal voluntary service and voluntary military service, pensioners, job seekers and people with disabilities upon presentation of valid proof. Children up to 12 years of age pay 50 % of the entrance fee.

Director: Vicki Dela Amedume
Scripts: Athena Kublenu
Music: African Boy

Set design: Lulu Tam

Lighting design: Hansjoerg Schmidt

Sound design: Kieran Lucas

Ensemble: Jaide Brewer, Rafiq Ffinch-Shah, Shane Hampden, Francisco Hurtado, Nima Séne, Zebulon Simoneau, Rebecca Solomon, Jimmy Wong

A co-production with Chamäleon Berlin

With kind support of the British Council

Also supported by:

The Lowry, The Albany, Arts Council England, PRS Foundation, Cockayne, The London Community Foundation, Horizon – Performance Created in England

Chameleon Berlin

In the Hackesche Höfe

Rosenthaler Strasse 40/41