The Show
„Verrucht und extravagant"
Berliner Morgenpost
Photo: © Teri Darnell
Le Pustra’s Kabarett der Namenlosen is a provocative theatrical "cabaret play" and contemporary interpretation of the progressive Weimar era Cabaret Culture and hedonistic nightlife of Post World War I in Berlin. The project was conceived and visualised by English actor, singer and internationally iridescent "kunstfigur", Madame Le Pustra (Edwina Morell in TV's Babylon Berlin, Season 3-4)
On the 24th of September 2011 the initial show made its stage debut at Die Freche Muse, at the Old Cholmeley Boys Club in Dalston, London. But it was only in March 2016 that Kabarett der Namenlosen was to resurface again, this time in Berlin. The show was restaged and developed at Ballhaus Berlin (built in 1905) and co-produced by the Grande Dame of 1920s entertainment, Else Edelstahl (Bohème Sauvage).
Taking inspiration from various colourful Berlin Cabarets including the famous Eldorado nightclub (1928), Die Weiße Maus Cabaret (1919) and Erich "Elow" Lowlinsky’s original version of the notorious Kabarett der Namenlosen (1926-1932), Le Pustra reimagines Berlin’s legendary nightlife. The show is presented as a salon-cum-nightclub with transitioning short scenes or vignettes, resulting in a decadent smoky hallucination of sex, art and beauty. The Kabarett explores the newly found sexual freedoms available (partially due to the relaxation of censorship) and avant-garde artistic innovation, especially seen in Theater, Dance, Film and Cabaret. Thus the aim of this lavishly curated production is to not only recapture but also to celebrate the exhilarating (yet unstable) Zeitgeist during the interwar years in Europe’s newest sex capital, Berlin.
Le Pustra says “I want to offer our audiences a voyeuristic glimpse into the erotic and smoky underworld of a secretive late night “Nachtlokal” where one might encounter the icon of Weimar nightlife, the scandalous dancer Anita Berber or perhaps witness the naked dance troupe Ballet Celly de Reidt performing one of their infamous Schönheitsabende." Berlin’s wild nightlife and erotic notorious hotspots still fascinates us today and the 1920s is more popular than ever with tourists, artists and historians in search of that mythical “divine decadence” à la Sally Bowles in 1972's Cabaret.
In 2022, Le Pustra’s Kabarett der Namenlosen was also featured in the award winning TV hit, Babylon Berlin (Season #4) starring Le Pustra as Edwina Morell, the queer flame-haired Souteneur and diabolical Conférencier. The scene is reminiscent of Elow's original concept.
After a 3 year hiatus, Kabarett der Namenlosen shall finally make its return on the 8th and 9th of December 2023 for a limited run at the historic Heimathafen Neukölln, Berlin.
So... leave your inhibitions at the door and enter a world of scandal, intrigue and self indulgence. Celebrate the Grotesque and the Bizarre. Immerse yourself in a decadent mise-en-scène and dance the night away with The Beautiful and The Damned.
Featuring selected music from Friedrich Hollaender, Kurt Weill, Rudolph Nelson, Mischa Spoliansky, Willy Rosen, Jaap Kool, Bertolt Brecht and poetry by Kurt Tucholsky and Anita Berber.
The Players
Starring: Le Pustra, Charly Voodoo, Vicky Butterfly, Mama Ulita, Shir-ran Yinon, Bridge Markland, ReveRso, Julietta la Doll, Lars Schwuchow, Pierre-Louis Dezert and guest performer: Lola la Tease.
Production:
Concept & Art Director: Le Pustra
Co-Producer: Else Edelstahl
Stage Manager: Louise The Breeze
Light Designer: Bryan Schall
Set Design: Le Pustra
Choreography: Charlie Peters
Hair Design: Nina Butkovich-Budden
Makeup: Désirée Keitel
Assistant to Le Pustra: Johanna Blackstone
Photographer: Daggi Binder (Maizucker.de)
Poster Design: Massimiliano Mocchia di Coggiola
Running time: 90 mins (excluding interval)
Suitable for 18+ (Full Frontal Nudity)
Languages: English and German
Dress code: Elegant Evening Attire/Vintage, Costume. STRICTLY NO SPORTSWEAR.
Facebook Event: Le Pustra's Kabarett der Namenlosen (2023) | Facebook
„Luder, Laster, Leidenschaft"
- B.Z.
The CreativeTeam
Le Pustra
Creator, Artistic Director & Conférencier
Le Pustra is an actor, singer, salonnier and dazzling "Kunstfigur". From underground cabaret darling to accidental club kid-cum-avant-garde fashion muse, Le Pustra is a colourful shapeshifting conduit thriving on visual stimuli inspired by circus, vaudeville, silent films and fashion. His most iconic role to date is that of creator and star of the sumptuous Kabarett der Namenlosen: a cult theatrical cabaret play inspired by the provocative 1920s in Berlin.
Le Pustra guest stars (2019-2022) in the award-winning German TV series: Babylon Berlin (Season 3 & 4) as flamed-haired Edwina Morell, .the owner of the Luxor nightclub and host of the Kabarett der Namenlosen.. Le Pustra also performed with the Moka Efti Orchestra in 2023 in a series of concerts in Germany, Denmark and Poland.
In October 2017, Le Pustra and the cast of Kabarett der Namenlosen performed "Das lila Lied" for the BBC Four series Tunes for Tyrants: Music and Power with Suzy Klein.(Seaon 1 Episode 1) In 2018, Le Pustra appeared (with Else Edelstahl) on the late Anthony Bourdain's Parts Unknown (Season 11 Episode 6) which aired on CNN.
Bryan Schall
Light Design
Bryan is a Berlin based light designer, technologist, and drag queen. His theatrical designs have been showcased internationally; Germany, Czech Republic, Poland, Scotland, Great Britain and the United States. Bryan is a graduate of the University of the Arts in Philadelphia, having focused in performance design and production. He is also known to be Berlin’s Premiere 96 year-old Jewish Drag Grandmother, Nana Schewitz.
Else Edelstahl
Co-producer
Else Edelstahl is the Grande Dame of the famous 'Bohème Sauvage' and with her 1920s expertise, a highly in demand events manager. She is also the co-producer of the 'Berlin Burlesque Festival' and the 'Hamburg Burlesque Festival'.
Nina Butkovich-Budden
Hair Design
Nina is celebrity hairstylist and has worked on numerous editorials for publications such as Harper’s Bazaar, Elle, L’Officiel and celebrity clients include Ute Lemper, Pamela Anderson and Lady Gaga. Nina's Hair Parlour was the first vintage hair salon to open in 2005 in London and featured in Vogue, Tatler, The Guardian and BBC.
Astrid Stebich
Make-up
Astrid has a background in Opera and Theatre make-up and currently works on the Netflix series "Dark" and "1899".
Charlie Peters
Choreography
Charlie Peters is a professional dancer, producer and choreographer. She trained at the Royal Ballet School in London, and worked as a professional ballet dancer for 6 years with various European ballet companies, including Dresden Semper Oper Ballett, before becoming a Showgirl dancer with the world-renowned Friedrichstadt-Palast Berlin. Clients include fashion designers Thierry Mugler and Jean Paul Gaultier.
Charlie also performs as Lola La Tease and is currently ranked top 30 in Europe Burlesque., She is also the producer of Berlin burlesque troupe “The Glam Girls.”
