Fabian. Der Gang vor die Hunde

Erich Kästner’s 1933 novel of big-city life paints a perceptive portrait of a society in upheaval. With sharp wit, grotesque exaggeration, and deep melancholy, Kästner depicts the Berlin of the late Weimar Republic—a world rife with political radicalization and moral decay, where no one can be bothered to listen to anyone else. At the heart of the story is the young Fabian, an ironic observer unable to take action; he drifts away in the city’s maelstrom and ultimately goes under, alone. The novel’s eerie parallels to the present day are often interpreted as a prophecy of a return to that same absolute catastrophe.

At RambaZamba Theater, however, the aim is not to succumb to a pessimistic vision of inevitable doom; Fabian is not left to stagger through the metropolis alone. A group of outsiders comes together to discuss the fragility of morality, empathy, and resistance amidst today’s crises—using original texts, drag show elements, and the thumping beats of the house band, 21 downbeat. The result is a shimmering cityscape of Berlin—an experience unique to RambaZamba Theater.

Live band: Selma Enoka Ayemba, Marcell Fabian, Vincent Köhler, Leo Solter

Funded by the Fonds Darstellende Künste with resources from the Federal Government Commissioner for Culture and the Media, as well as the Senate Department for Culture and Social Cohesion.