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And Then We Took Berlin

Bandits. Heroes. Musicians. Two cover bands battle for East Berlin as the Stasi make song requests.

synopsis

On the surface, the cover music scene of East Berlin is a world of musical excellence where bands compete: the best sound and arrangements get the best crowds. Success means adoration, sex and money. But underneath the glittery nightlife, there is a territory for currency exchange and smuggling goods from West to East, which comes with extra money and power. Two rival bands, one East German and one Romanian, fight it off for the best venue in East Berlin, venue which would make their side-business flourish, not to mention the prestige of being seen as the top band in town. The Stasi take notice of the war between the two bands and come up with a plan to use them for their purposes. And Then We Took Berlin opens a portal to the East Berlin of the late 70s-early 80s, through the stories of “bandit” musicians who are fighting to keep their freedom and those of their families, all the while trying to elude the secret services and steering clear of being used as bait.

Director’statement

This is a suspenseful ensemble drama with comedic undertones exploring the possibility of trust in a world where the only way to survive is to lie. Inspired by my father’s experience as a cover musician in East Berlin, the show creates a gripping, tightrope act, where moral integrity is always on the line, and nothing is as it seems. And Then We Took Berlin focuses on the battle between two rival bands. The Romanians see themselves as “freedom bandits” fighting for a new life in a more permissive country than their own, as outsiders. The East Germans fight to get rid of the outsiders who have conquered the scene and made every single musician a target for the Stasi. Authorities try to stop and de-structure both these groups. Bandits and heroes, excellent musicians and flawed humans, we can understand and root for their clashing positions, as both bands strive to keep their humanity intact and the night alive. Trust is the key ingredient to the bands’ survival and its absence their greatest vulnerability.

TFL PROGRAMME:
SeriesLab Talents 2022
Discover more details here:
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SeriesLab Talents 2022

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