
Site-specific theatre about the Columbusbahnhof Bremerhaven
When the big ocean liners were tied up, the Columbusterminal buzzed with intense activity: the mooring crew, customs officers, shipping agents, cooks and taxi drivers were taking care of a smooth processing of the passengers. The documentary theatre group gives access to spaces, that always used to be hidden from plain sight.
With the kind support of: bremenports, Kulturstiftung des Bundes (Theater), Fonds Soziokultur (Soziokultur), Kulturamt Bremerhaven
© Finigan Willem Pictures of the performance
Company: Elisabeth Müller, Gonny Gaakeer, Richard Gonlag, Kai Helm, Michaela Hinnenthal, Ramona Krohn, Carolin Ott, Sven Reese, Lukas David Schmidt, Claudia Thiedmann, Birgit Wieger and local actors
Music: Beke von Ahnen, Ingolf Buck, Jens Feistle, Annette Fischer-Hachtel, Stephen Hawkridge, Jana Holze, Jutta Landwehr, Ulrich Metz, Marlow Möbes, Bernd Schmidt, Terry Joe Schmidt
Script & Direction: Jens-Erwin Siemssen
Co-Direction: Ramona Krohn, Tess Howsan, Nina Buzalka
Musical direction: Jan-Hendrik Ehlers
Choreography: Yvonne von den Akker, Larissa Tritten
Costume Design: Sophia Lund
Production: Lena Iversen, Janika Bertram, Simone Glatt, Hannah Wörpel, Margarita Wiesner
Premiere: Columbusbahnhof Bremerhaven • 20th of October 2021 • 7 pm
further performances until 14th of November 2021
Press reviews
Another floor up, several sceneries reveal themselves in the great hall with the information counters. Ramona Krohn welcomes the audience with a seven-member band to a harbour concert; the food has been «polished off» by the shanty choir. The currency exchange counter is manned; Michaela Hinnenthal displays souvenirs in the kiosk, plays with a Hein Mück doll and a music box: «Muss I den, zum Städtele hinaus». Next-door, in the flower shop, posh Greybeard Richard Gonlag shows us, with the aid of light bulbs and neon tube lights, how he decorated the table flower arrangements.
The ensemble, consisting of professional actors and local players, leads us to the original settings. Rehearsals started with exploration tours of the spacious building; from the boiler room to the kitchen and from passenger processing to the dining room and the harbour pub. Props and materials were gathered during these explorations and used for the staging; everything is real. The scenes, partly with sensational choreography, give each different station an authentic image.
The audience stroll through the workers’ tunnel into the 5,000 square metres waiting hall, are allowed to stride through bathrooms and marvel at what the actors managed to make out of the remains of the processing business; funny figurines, mural reliefs out of wheels and door knobs, towers of refrigerators and round floor mosaics – for instance out of toilet seats, soap dispensers and bathroom mirrors.
Sometimes it works realistic, when the owner of the kiosk displays souvenirs like the Hein Mück doll and buntings with the flag of Germany. And it works artful, when the florist plays with light bulbs and neon tube lights instead of flowers.
Projects
Sandbank
Children's health cure on Spiekeroog • Project of »Das Letzte Kleinod« 2022
Passenger Processing
the Columbusbahnhof Bremerhaven • Project of »Das Letzte Kleinod« 2021
Nr. 10
A film by Alex van Warmerdam 2021
How to cry
Theatre performance by »&sistig« 2021
Heimat & Fremde
the poet Hermann Allmers • Project of »Das Letzte Kleinod« 2021
Häuser-Fluchten
Site-specific theatre by »spreeagenten« 2020
Audio Drama Enthymesis
An Audio drama based on Arno Schmidt.
Souvenir 1870
Theatre in the train • Project of »Das Letzte Kleinod« in 2019
»wa/m/s-g« version 2
Performance for two actors
Photoshoot III
with Jaap de Jonge in Wünsdorf near Zossen
WILHELM*INA
Theatre in the train • Project of »Das Letzte Kleinod« in 2018
Photoshoot II
with Jaap de Jonge in the tank barracks Bernau
»wa/m/s-g«
Performance for two actors
Performing Arts Festival
ProtokollB • Three theatre nights at PAF 2017
Digital Digestion
Protokoll B • Installation & Performance
Festival 48-h-Neukölln 2016
Met Film School
My collaboration with the Met Film School Berlin
Photoshoot
with Jaap de Jonge in the villa Neue Hakeburg
Am Boden
A theatre play based on Maxim Gorki • Graduation at the theatre school Die Etage
Enthymesis
Theatre Monologue in celebration of Arno Schmidt's 100th birthday