Theater-Tanz-Stück

The scene is reminiscent of a hip and simultaneously sterile club. People in the fringe groups are subjected to social adaptations and pressures. Each of the figures would rather be another. All feel like victims. They inflict pain because pain is inflicted on them.

»White Star« is based on the curious life history of Lothar Berfelde (1928-2002), who was born in Berlin/Mahlsdorf and who, as a young man, decided he wanted to live as a woman under the name of Charlotte von Mahlsdorf. The piece is not a dramatised biography, but rather a narrative of people who are disabled, disfigured, or simply different from the »norm« and who fight to become accepted.

The piece is founded on an idea by the transsexual author and actress, Vanessa Van Durme, and was brought to the stage by Lies Pauwels, born in Ghent in 1968. After »Club Astrid« in 2002, »White Star« is her second work as director to be shown at the euro-scene Leipzig. She, like Van Durme, played in the Victoria production »Allemaal Indiaan« (»Everyone is an Indian«). In May 2005, »White Star« was awarded the big judges prize at the »KONTAKT« festival in Torun/Poland.

The company Victoria, founded in Ghent in 1992, is a production plant for experimental theatre and in the course of the years has accumulated some very important theatrists. Alongside Jérôme Bel, these have also included notably Arne Sierens and Alain Platel, whose pieces »Bernadetje« (1997) and – in conjunction with Les Ballets C. de la B – »Allemaal Indiaan« (2000) have been shown at the euro-scene Leipzig.

»An eventful and moving collection of human yearnings and uglinesses, a fast-paced interplay of theatre and dance of which the topic moves and captivates the audience with blatant artistic statements« (Monika Burri, Tages-Anzeiger, Zurich 22.10.2004).