BARRY HUMPHRIES’
WEIMAR CABARET
‘AN EVENING OF DEGENERATE MUSIK’
RETURNS TO LONDON IN 2018 FOR A STRICTLY LIMITED SEASON
FEATURING MEOW MEOW
11 – 29 JULY 2018 AT THE BARBICAN, LONDON
Barry Humphries’ critically acclaimed Weimar Cabaret returns to London in 2018 for a strictly limited season of 22 performances from 11- 29 July 2018 at the Barbican Centre, London. Starring alongside Barry is renowned artist Meow Meow accompanied by Aurora Orchestra, led by Satu Vänskä.
Last seen in London in July 2016 for a brief run at Cadogan Hall before performances at the Edinburgh International Festival, Weimar Cabaret is a celebration of Humphries’ lifelong passion and fascination with the music of the Weimar Republic, the German state that existed in the inter-war period between Germany’s defeat in World War I in 1918 and Hitler’s rise to power in 1933. This period of political, economic and social change gave rise to a cultural explosion of ideas across music, art, drama and literature with many Jewish artists central to this new artistic movement.
Since discovering a collection of sheet music of composers banned by the Third Reich, including Erich Korngold, Kurt Weill and Ernst Krenek in a Melbourne book shop as a teenager in the 1940’s, Humphries has been fascinated with the period’s cultural experimentalism, defiance and unique mix of classical music and jazz.
On stage Barry Humphries narrates in his own inimitable style his very personal journey and obsession with the music of this artistically fertile and experimental period of history. He is joined by the internationally acclaimed performer Meow Meow who brings to life some of the iconic musical numbers of the period by some of its leading composers including Kurt Weill, Ernst Krenek, Erwin Schulhoff, Ernst Toch and Mischa Spoliansky.
Global star and legendary entertainer, Barry Humphries is perhaps best known for his on stage and television alter-egos Dame Edna Everage, Australian cultural attaché the Honourable Sir Les Patterson and Sandy Stone. Humphries’ characters have brought him international acclaim, and he has appeared in numerous films, stage productions, and television shows. He is also a film producer and script writer, a star of London’s West End musical theatre, an award-winning writer, actor, satirist, artist, and author.
Australian artist Meow Meow specialises in the Weimar repertoire. She is also a prolific music and theatre creator. Her award-winning solo works have been curated by David Bowie, Pina Bausch, and Mikhail Baryshnikov and numerous international arts festivals. She recently appeared as Titania in Emma Rice’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream season at Shakespeare’s Globe. She has performed with the Berlin Philharmonic with Pink Martini, and Brighton Festival with Souvenir – a fantastical song cycle written with composers Jherek Bischoff and August Von Trapp. She recently performed at the Edinburgh International Festival with her showMeow Meow’s Little Mermaid. 4 December sees her perform Meow’s Pandemonium with the London Philharmonic Orchestra at Royal Festival Hall, and 20 – 31 December Shakespeare’s Globe presentsApocalypse Meow: Crisis is Born at the Sam Wanamaker Playhouse.
Aurora Orchestra is a British chamber orchestra, co-founded in 2004 by conductors Nicholas Collon and Robin Ticciati. Comprising of some of the finest British instrumentalists, Aurora has embraced an entrepreneurial and risk-taking approach to concert presentation, overturning expectations as to what an orchestra should and can do on the concert platform. Resident Orchestra at King’s Place since 2009, Aurora was resident orchestra at LSO St Luke’s from 2010-2015 and in 2016 became resident orchestra at Southbank Centre. Aurora performs regularly at Wigmore Hall, the Barbican and at the Linbury Studio Theatre at the Royal Opera House. It has also performed at the last eight BBC Proms seasons at the Royal Albert Hall.
Barry Humphries’ Weimar Cabaret is produced by Fiery Angel.