WELTCLUBHAUPTSTADT (English version)

by Fabian Gerhardt, CRUSHED and Vincent Stefan


German with Engl. surtitles / Deutsch mit engl. ÜT
German version

After the fall of the Berlin Wall, the city established itself as the world‘s Clubbing Capital, famous for its notorious club scene. Over thirty years, the East and West were unified on the dance floor — until the lockdown. This open air show tells the story of a glorious past, a meek present, and the uncertain future of Berlin’s Clubs. It tells this story through video installation, heavy beats, and texts devised from insider testimony.

After 1989, suddenly there were huge and unclaimed urban spaces available in Berlin. Quite literally, they became the underground. The “Tresor” was a vault, the “E-Werk” a plant, the “Bunker” just that — simply adorned with a bar and DJ. Conversations with former dealers, DJs, bouncers, and icons such as Dimitri Hegemann, Carlo Nogossek, Mark Reeder, Namito, and many others make up the ingredients to director Fabian Gerhardt’s multi-medial concert: a celebration of this “cosmos of pop music, hedonism, good drugs, cool knowledge, and urban life.” (Diedrichsen)

In its first show in August 2021, this live event was planned to have its home backdropping the facade of “Podewil”, just across from TD Berlin (former Theaterdiscounter) and once the location of East Berlin’s hottest youth club, with a large VJ screen, new texts, and live music, encouraging a hopeful glimpse into a future were dancing never stops.

Theaterperformance Weltclubhauptstadt Berlin at KitKatClub on Arte TV (Video 2'06 min. available until Feb 06, 2024), January 2023 — in German

Radio Interview with director Fabian Gerhardt on radioeins, January 2023 — in German

Radio Interview with director Fabian Gerhardt on radioeins, November 2022 — in German




TD Berlin goes KitKatClub: Originally planned for TD Berlin's open air StaTD-Series in 2021, the show, due to the big success, was staged regularly at the legendary KitKatClub.

With Sophia Euskirchen / Max Schimmelpfennig / Miša Cvijović / Uroš Petković Directed by Fabian Gerhardt Music CRUSHED Video Vincent Stefan Lyrics Philipp Amelungsen Dramaturgy Lars Werner Surtitles Olivia Schaaf Technique Stephan Mäusel & David Ojala (direction) / Erik Pade / Nicolas San / Martin Mohr / Rui Wegener Video Operator Florian Brossmann Press Relations Yven Augustin PR Cooperation with Kulturprojekte GmbH Supported by the open funding of the State of Berlin (Senate Department for Culture and Europe) as part of TD Berlin's StaTD-Series from 2021/22

Fabian Gerhardt studied acting from 1991 to 1995 and then made guest appearances at major theaters in Berlin, Hamburg, Frankfurt, Cologne, Leipzig and Hanover. 2010 he had his directorial debut with Die Insel von Athol Fugard. This was followed by productions at Deutsches Theater Berlin, Schauspiel Frankfurt, and Schauspielhaus Bochum. Several times, he worked as a Guest Professor for Schauspiel and Szenisches Schreiben at UdK.

Ticket Prices 20,- € (Cash only at the Box Office; Club visit included. Evening gown - or kinky, fetish, etc.)