Zum Lachen in den Keller

Zum Lachen in den Keller is a moving journey into the hidden spaces of our inner world.

We are in a basement – perhaps of an apartment building, perhaps in a big city. The visitors arrive for very different reasons: to sort crates of drinks, to meet a secret lover, to satisfy their hunger or to hide.

But the basement follows its own logic: it opens hidden spaces, awakens memories, relives powerlessness and loss, and breaks taboos.

Here, people wash, tinker and stack things away – and sometimes celebrate without restraint, dancing, singing and devouring. Between shadows and ghosts, boundaries begin to blur.

The basement: a place of darkness and loneliness, but also of freedom and insight. Among shelves of provisions and washing lines, people encounter not only social norms and their own emotions, but also find themselves on the threshold of adulthood.

Under the guidance of experienced artists trained in trauma-informed practice, a safe space is created in which they can express themselves with courage, honesty and energy. Scenes from their lived realities merge into a larger whole, making stories visible and contributing to an open, democratic society.

Zum Lachen in den Keller is a moving journey into the hidden spaces of our inner world. At times genuinely funny, at others deeply sombre, the performance opens doors that usually remain closed – and poses a direct question to the audience: what are you ashamed of?

With

Daria Ariton, Anna Biletska, Yuri Gomez, Nadiia Kot, Lukas Krug, Vitalii Kulyk, Viktoriia Levkovska, Vsevolod Liashenko, Lava Mousa, Anastasiia Pavlenko, Alex Popenko, Milana Rosliakova, Kateryna Rozlomii, Said Shubat, Sonatullah Uzbek, Abeesnavan Vimalathas, Alina Nika Zaluzhna

• Lena Bäuerle – Vocal coaching, choral work and live music
• Patrizia Birkenberg – Project management and concept
• Thea Marie Eilers – Theatre education, text production
• Esther Falk – Puppet construction & performance, costumes, dramaturgy
• Yahi Nestor Gahe – Movement training & choreography
• Johannes Reischmann – Music production, musical arrangement and live music