Chamaeleon Theatre in Berlin is one of my favourite travel discoveries and I recently had the fortune of visiting a third time for a performance of new show FINALE by Analog Group.
Each show that I’ve seen at this timeless, jewel-box theatre in Mitte’s historic Hackescher Höfe has been vastly different in style and narrative. Underart by Sweden’s Cirkus Cirkör was highly-conceptual and emotive while Company 2’s Scotch & Soda was a raucous, Aussie boozefest, so I was intrigued to see how this young Berlin-based troupe would approach circus.
The Show
FINALE begins off-stage with a humorous see-saw scene with Creative Director Florian Zumkehr and acrobat Richie Maguire competing for attention – a theme that runs through the show. The narrative is quite loose, as it’s mostly just about having fun, but I noticed a few references to teenage nostalgia, from a library scene to a sweet love duet.
The Cast
Gradually we’re introduced to each member of the cast and their unique acrobatic talents are revealed. We all fell in love with the talented singer-songwriter Ena Wild – a star of the Berlin club scene – mostly for her smoky, heavenly vocals but also her spectacular outfits, meticulously changed with every scene. In fact, she composed the entire score with writing partner and live drummer Lukas Thielecke.
Perhaps the most unforgettable scene was New Yorker Richie Maguire sharing his obsession with Jean-Claude Van Damme and performing some extreme Van Damming while eating a banana in a gold sequin thong. That image doesn’t tend to leave your mind!
I was also mesmerised by Manda Rydman’s aerial hoop solo and nail-biting rope performance that saw strands flying as she tumbled down from a height. Another highlight was Carlos Zaspiel’s slick spinning pole piece using a large prop that he actually developed during his acrobatic training.
By the end of the show, you’re transported to a proper Berlin rave, in a flurry of colour, neon lights, cool electronic music and the cast jumping through a hoop. With the incredibly catchy music and charismatic performers it really feels like a party, making the thrills of the circus even more joyful. It’s definitely a show that’s not to be missed!
The rest of the weekend was ours to explore the city and recover after a late-night lock-in with some of the cast. Here are a few more places for your Berlin ‘to do list’…
SEE
East Side Gallery
It’s hard to comprehend, in this age, that the Berlin Wall divided east and west Germany for over 28 years and that part of it can still be seen today. The open-air East Side Gallery features 105 murals painted directly on a 1316m long remnant of the wall in Friedrichshain-Kreuzberg in 1990.
The murals are united by their messages of peace, hope and anti-fascism and include the famous Fraternal Kiss capturing the historic embrace between Soviet leader Leonid Brezhnev and East Germany’s Erich Hoenicker.
Alte Nationalgalerie
Museum Island, a designated UNESCO World Heritage Site, is a real treat for Berlin visitors with six renowned state museums set across a picturesque island in the Spree. You can buy a ticket for 18 Euros that allows access to all museums in one day, but as time was short, I focussed on just one – the Altes Nationalgalerie (Old National Gallery). This impressive museum, founded in 1861, houses a collection of Neoclassical, Impressionist and early-Modernist works by mostly German but also European artists.
It’s a well-curated collection, with a few quirky talking point pieces, and it’s a pleasure to delve into the works of artists such as Karl Blechen, Adolf von Menzel, Max Liebermann and Caspar David Friedrich.
EAT
Spreegold
This all-day casual restaurant near Alexanderplatz became a bit of a blogger hangout on our trip. On the first night in Berlin, we indulged in enormous burgers and ‘stacks’ of avocado, bacon and poached eggs on sourdough, and then returned for iced lemon black tea and banana bread before our journey home.
The Store Kitchen at Soho House Berlin
For a chilled-out lunch in Mitte, head to The Store Kitchen on the ground floor of Soho House Berlin (no membership needed). The kitchen is set across an open-plan concept store filled with stylish homewares, books and magazines, fragrances and covetable designer brands such as Off-White, Vetements and Balenciaga. There’s also a live DJ to complete the ambiance.
I enjoyed a healthy lunch of Avocado toast and poached eggs with lime and a fresh red chilli kick, plus a potent matcha latte for a caffeine fix – highly recommended!
Princess Cheesecake
This bijou tea salon and patisserie is one of my favourite spots in Berlin. It serves an impressive range of cheesecake, from traditional German poppy seed to proper New York cheesecake, and they are always to die for.
STAY
Park Inn by Radisson Berlin Alexanderplatz was my base for two nights, where I had some great views of the iconic Fernsehturm (television tower) from my room on the 26th floor of this huge tower hotel. Alexanderplatz is central, convenient place to stay, particularly for first-time visitor to the city, and the hotel is just 13 minutes walk from Chamaeleon Theater.
The lobby was constantly busy (the hotel has a whopping 1012 rooms and suites, after all) but the rooms were calmer – contemporary and simple with a comfortable bed and powerful shower. I was particularly impressed with the quality and service at the buffet breakfast in Spagos Restaurant and enjoyed fresh scrambled eggs with herbs, a variety of excellent German bread rolls and even cheesecake.
Are you a fan of contemporary circus? Have you been to Chamaeleon Theatre?
FINALE runs at Chamaeleon Theatre until 19th August. For more information and booking, visit: www.chamaeleonberlin.com
Thanks to Chamaeleon Theatre and Park Inn Berlin Alexanderplatz for a great trip to Berlin.
All photos by Chérie City
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