When David Bowie was featured in Nicolas Roeg’s film “The Man who fell to Earth” in the role of Thomas Jerome Newton, many viewers felt like the British singer was simply playing himself. Forty years after the film, Bowie planned to dedicate a new project to Thomas Jerome Newton: a sequel to the story in the form of a musical. He outlined a vision of Newton, ageless and unable to die, drinking gin, devouring synthetic sweets and watching television. Around him, real and imaginary figures perform scenes from Newton’s past, turning the present into an enigmatic and confusing “fever dream”.

A double exploration of two cornerstones of theatre history, both of them created during and shaped by extreme times. Two plays specific to their eras and two teaching plays, each in in its own particular way: “Die Perser (The Persians)”, the oldest remaining drama of humankind and one of the few ancient tragedies that dealt with real events – and “Die Maßnahme”, the renowned co-operation between Bertolt Brecht and Hanns Eisler which served as a model for Brecht’s theory of “Lehrstücke” (teaching plays).
Simultaneous translation in English language on Sun, 23.06.

Belgian performance artist Diederik Peeters dusts off mankind‘s age-old desire for immortality. In “Erscheinungen”, he takes another shot at finally and irrefutably proving the existence of ghosts.
In English language.