HAU2, Tanzhaus NRW, Theaterhaus Stuttgart
Sha’irlie – this is not a Chaplin.
A piece by Kadir Amigo Memis
Charlie Chaplin is climbing over a wall and finds himself in a city. It is his arrival in an anonymous metropolis – divided Berlin – to a future full of hope, in a gray and futuristic space full of odd figures.
With Sha’irlie – this is not a Chaplin. Kadir “Amigo” Memis, dancer and choreographer of Turkish origin, pays homage to his great inspiration, Charlie Chaplin.
At the same time, the piece deals with the history of the first generation of Turkish migrant workers in Germany. Parallel to Charlie Chaplin’s “Tramp”, many of them were confronted with topics such as labor-migration, social marginalization, poverty and isolation. It is the same dreams of well-being and happiness, love and self-fulfillment, which gave birth to the desire of many Gastarbeiter (guest-workers). Memis distinctly accentuates social critique and finely weaves situational humor and abstraction together to create the tragicomedy of the “little man on main street”, without recurring to pathos and self-pity at any point. Scenes such as the ones at the job center, inside the factory or in a boxing match are derived from Chaplin’s work, but could equally well be set in a different era and reality.
Inspired by the language of movement of the early Chaplin, but also by his fascination for the works of surrealist painter Magritte, Kadir Memis creates a dance performance, which playfully combines Hip Hop and urban dance styles with contemporary dance. Kadir Memis becomes Charlie Chaplin, but his alter ego “Amigo” is also on stage, just like the different facets of the small Charlot, Magritte’s man with a bowler hat, or of the Gastarbeiter.
Hyoung-Min Kim, Luc Reboullet and Patrick “Patrock” from Bardeleben support Memis, become both his antagonists and allies, while meeting each other during the daily struggle for recognition, money, labor and the desire for love.
PREMIERE: January 24th 2013, 9 p.m. at HAU 2 – Hebbel am Ufer Berlin 2
Concept / Choreography: Kadir Amigo Memis
Dancers: Patrick Patrock von Bardeleben, Hyoung-Min Kim, Luc Reboullet, Amigo
Composition / Live music: Baglama: Nevzat Akpinar
Dramaturgy: Célestine Hennermann
Video design: Rain Kencana
Sound design: Dj Illvibe
Light design: Roger Irman
Stage design: Tore Rinkveld
Costumes: Jale Kustalouglu
Assistant director: Christina Damasko
Production management: Marta Hewelt
Funded by the Hauptstadtkulturfonds Berlin.
Co-production partner: HAU Hebbel am Ufer, tanzhaus NRW, Theaterhaus Stuttgart
kindly supported by Tanzwerkstatt Berlin
Fotos: Nadja Klier
