The Gap in the Fence

For almost fifty years the GRIPS Theater has produced plays which explore the reality of everyday life of children and adolescents. The productions aim to instil young viewers with confidence to recognise their needs and demand that their rights be respected. This realistic and emancipatory approach has garnered enormous international acclaim and numerous imitators. In commemoration of its 50th anniversary, the Berlin children’s and youth theatre will now address the question of what emancipatory theatre of the 21st century should look like. The play “Balle, Malle, Hupe and Artur – Disturbance of the Peace by Imagination”, which premiered for the first time in 1971, serves as the foil and object of this investigation. The production team will collaborate with youngsters to assess how relevant the original version is for audiences today. The results will be incorporated into a new German-Greek adaptation titled "The Gap in the Fence [Die Lücke im Bauzaun]" which takes into account the situation of children and youth in post-migrant societies. The premiere of the new production will take place during an international symposium on children’s rights in 2019 as part of the festivities commemorating the anniversary of the GRIPS Theater. The production will go on tour with guest performances in Germany and Greece.

Dates and Venues symposium and guest performances:

Research phase “Free spaces in the city”, Berlin: 1 Sep. – 31 Dec. 2018; theatre pedagogical exchange, Athens: tentatively 1-3 Mar. 2019; premiere: GRIPS Theater, Berlin: 6 Jun. 2019; International symposium “Child rights in children’s and youth theatre” – Berlin: 11–15 Jun. 2019; guest performance – Apo Mixanis Theatro, Athens: between 15 Jan. – 30 Jun. 2020; guest performance – Brandenburg Theater, Brandenburg a.d. Havel: between 15 Jan. – 30 Jun. 2020

Artistic director: Philipp Harpain
Dramaturgy: Ute Volknant
Stage director: Vassilis Koukalani (GR)
Author: Mehdi Moradpour