Pablo Neruda’s “Elementary Odes”

With his ‘Elementary Odes’, the Chilean poet and Nobel Prize winner Pablo Neruda drew upon one of the oldest forms of praise and celebration. Yet whilst in the

Greco-Roman tradition Olympic champions, princes and gods were extolled, his declared intention was to express a zest for life and to celebrate the infinite diversity of the world.

In clear language, he transforms the ordinary into magical poetry to express his connection with animals, plants, the seasons, the world and people. Between 1954 and 1957, he wrote a total of 225 odes, which were published in three volumes.

For the third time, the KungerKiezTheater is dedicating an evening of poetry and music to Pablo Neruda on Saturday, 13 November 2026, featuring a selection of the

“Elementary Odes” by the Chilean poet, who died in 1973, will be performed. The event will be hosted by Holger Franke and MarKn Recken, who met in Alt-Treptow and

decided to celebrate Pablo Neruda’s poetry. Holger Franke, an actor, author and director, brings the translations (authorised by Neruda) by the poet Erich Arendt

to life with great expressiveness, fuelled by his enthusiasm for the spoken word. MarKn Recken, who holds a Master’s degree in Latin American History and is a cultural manager, brings passages from the original Spanish versions to life and accompanies the poems on the cello and oud. The result is a symbiosis of text and music on stage – an evening full of the joy of peace and a zest for life.

WHEN: Saturday, 14 November at 7.30 pm
WHERE: KungerKiezTheater at Park Center Treptow (1st floor), Am Treptower Park 14, 12435 Berlin
Prices: Concession: 9 euros, Standard ticket: 12 euros, Sponsored ticket: 15 euros
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