Marlene - Berlin - Renaissance Theater

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Venue: Renaissance Theater

In a small Parisian apartment: Marlene Dietrich and Viv, her long-time companion through the ups and downs of her legendary career. Withdrawn from the whole world, the days pass by. But today it is as if the past time is becoming tangible and alive again. In the dramatic confrontation, the world star confronts himself with his own myth.

Sven Ratzke plays Marlene Dietrich and breathes a new soul into her songs. In her biography, he senses the challenge of reinventing herself in the most diverse facets of her personality. He immerses himself in the character of Marlene in order to confront her radiance – as he has succeeded in doing in various programmes about the music legend David Bowie in sold-out houses from NYC to Sydney, from Amsterdam to London.

The singer and entertainer, who has caused an international sensation with his artful shows and excellent music, has established himself as a world-class stage star.

“Marlene Dietrich wandered between the sexes and showed enormous courage in her stubbornness and absolute perfectionism. Trapped in fame and disappeared in a fictional character of her own making. I look into the mirror she holds up to our time and to all artists, see myself and look for her. What a challenge!”

From this perspective, the reworking of the original version of the play by Pam Gems develops into a surprising, humorous and touching story. A prologue and epilogue, written especially for this performance by the renowned Dutch writer Connie Palmen, provide the play with additional lyrical emotional spheres. From the depths of Marlene’s soul.

The congenial partner on the grand piano is the young Dutch pianist Jetse de Jong, who, together with Sven Ratzke, completely reinterprets the music and conducts the evening musically. Johanna Asch plays the young Viv, Marlene’s friend and adversary. Guntbert Warns stages this new version in the stage design by Ezio Toffolutti, enriched with the specially created costumes of the British star fashion designer Ian Griffiths (Creative Director / Max Mara).

MARLENE is a production of Renaissance-Theater Berlin, with an international tour in the Netherlands and Belgium (end of February to end of May), followed by New York City in December 2024.

Playing time: approx. 110 minutes, incl. intermission. (Break after approx. 60 minutes)

Credits: made possible by a contribution from Fonds21 and AFK