Heroes

a theatrical Requiem

18. - 20. January 2024, 8 pm / 21. January 2024, 6 pm, Orangerie Theater, Köln

Amy Winehouse has been stranded in a kind of limbo for six years satisfied with alcohol and drugs. There's a knock. First Lemmy Kilmister appears. Then David Bowie. And last but not least Prince. Amy' s panic is great and the fight for supplies begins.

A philosophical revue with humour and quiet tones, loud music and always astonishing insights, when hard lyrics are delicately breathed into the microphone as poems without musical accompaniment. Partly sung and performed live, partly playback or united with the audience in karaoke, the great questions of life are explored.

"When I was young, I was the nicest guy I ever knew. I thought I was the chosen one. But time passed and I found out one or two things. My splendour continued to diminish as time passed." (I ain't no nice guy, Lemmy Kilmister)
"Don't be angry at me because you're approaching your thirties and your old tricks aren't working anymore you should have known from the beginning that you're only going to leave. So dust off your "fuck me" shoes." (Fuck me pumps, Amy Winehouse)

With: Bibiana Jiménez, Marc Fischer (Fabian Ringel), Torsten-Peter Schnick, Tomasso Tessitori
Director/Concept: Andrea Bleikamp;
Dramaturgy: Rosi Ulrich;
Set: Claus Stump;
Text: Charlotte Luise Fechner
PÖ/Management: mechtild tellmann cultural management

PR: 10.1.2018, 20 h, 11. – 14., 24. – 27.1.2018, 5./6.5.2018; Orangerie Theater im Volksgarten, Köln
13. / 14. / 17. - 19. August 2022, atelier moblie // 26. - 29. Januar 2023, Orangerie Theater

Teaser

One last gig: „Heroes“

Amy Winehouse is already waiting, Lemmy Kilmister, David Bowie and Prince follow her into a kind of limbo. In "Heroes", the Orangerie Theater offers the exceptional stars a final stage, a place for reflection and self-dramatization.

Most of the bottles are already empty. They serve as support for Amy Winehouse (Bibiana Jiménez), with whom she crawls across the cross-shaped stage. Those who die earlier are dead longer. But Amy doesn't stay alone for long: Little by little the icons Lemmy Kilmister, singer of the rock band Motörhead, David Bowie and Prince are brought to life. The drying hood takes them directly to limbo. They wear tour badges, "Welcome to Hell" is written on them.

Director Andrea Bleikamp, who also developed the concept, has developed a total work of art: she lets the four so different exceptional artists perform for a final revue. Original quotations (text: Charlotte Luise Fechner) make it clear what she has in common: they all strive for the very front on stage, they compare their funeral service, they want the posterity to remember them. Where do fans bring the most flowers? The four musicians have influenced other artists beyond their lifetime, have shaped whole generations and thus left mourning fans behind. "Can you miss someone you don't know," says Lemmy Kilmister.

The four actors live their roles

The rock star (Tomasso Tessitori), cowboy boots, denim vest, long hair, is probably the most thoughtful figure, many quiet, thoughtful sounds come from him. David Bowie (Fabian Ringel), Starman flash on his face, tight black-and-white striped trousers, silver shoes, shiny blouson, on the other hand, is surprisingly cheeky and aggressive. Prince (Torsten-Peter Schnick), the androgynous eccentric, wears a fringe jacket over the asymmetrical glitter top, in addition a red-black flare pant (outfit: Claus Stump). Amy Winehouse had the shortest life of all those present in limbo, and was the one who expressed herself the least in public. That's why in "Heroes" she unfortunately degenerates into a supporting actress who cleans up. Through their lyrics and interview excerpts, the four of them embark on a journey to themselves and begin to reflect - about success, fame, drugs, alcohol. Of course, the music is not neglected either. "Kiss" by Prince, "Back to Black" by Amy Winehouse, one last time the big hits of the former big stars. The four actors live their roles, they use the whole room, jump from front to back, dance with the audience and distribute brandy.

In the end, they find their last rest.

Jens Standke's video installations also belong to the post-dramatic total work of art. Some episodes, such as a video game about Amy Winehouse's drug consumption, complement the events. Others - such as a film excerpt from "Schöner Gigolo, armer Gigolo" (1978) - expand the staging and lend it a second level when Marlene Dietrich, Baroness von Semering, says in the film: "Champagne? Dom Perignon, my favourite champagne. Dancing, music, champagne - the best way to forget until you find something you want to remember again." The musical idols have not been forgotten for a long time. Not only the videos, but also the imaginative staging of light (Peter Behle) and funny ideas, such as the brightly coloured ice cubes, bear witness to the ensemble's modern standards. Four stars have their last performance until nobody can see them anymore - and they can really find their last rest.
(Kultur Bühne)

Brandy or earplugs?

It was to the Orangerie in the Volksgarten, that the hereafter soul legend Amy Winehouse (Bibiana Jiménez), Motörhead front man Lemmy Kilmister (Tomasso Tessitori), pop-titan David Bowie (Fabian Ringel) and Prince (Torsten-Peter Schnick), the unattainable master of funk, shipped soul legend Amy Winehouse (Bibiana Jiménez). It's a fine nuisance of director Andrea Bleikamp that the four music legends who filled all the stadiums now have to share the small stage in their final show. It's an invitation to the audience Battle.

And in Bleikamp's latest production "Heroes" they leave no doubt that the four legends liked to be in the front row. "Rock'n'Roll is dead?" asks Lemmy on his arrival in Hades with the unmistakable black felt Stetson on his head. A voice from offstage squawks blasphemically: "No! Rock'n'Roll not!" Malevolently Price won't recognize Bowie and asks: "Harry Potter?" But for Bowie it's clear: "Heroism is a destiny."

But what is to become of them? What remains? What remains of you after death? They dissect their biographies, lament their suffering, try to outdo each other, let their enormous artist egos run free and finally find a small freezer (inscription: "Eismann bringt's"). In plastic bags there are four ice cubes each. Lemmy sucks you and suddenly sings "Last Christmas" by Wham! and almost vomits. Bowie suddenly sounds like Celine Dijon. Shocked, he begins to realize that they too are to be processed into a pack of ice cubes.

Bleikamp calls the evening "a theatrical requiem", which revolves loosely and lightly, sometimes fluffy-humouristic sometimes philosophically profound around the very different musicians, who only have things in common in their meaning and size. The audience is also challenged: during karaoke to a Motörhead concert recording. Amy meanwhile serves earplugs or brandy. Couple dance with Prince, Lemmy and Amy expects a few lucky ones to a pretty good Bowie parody. All in all a nice anarchic evening, played by a great ensemble with lots of great memories of four great artists.
(Choises)