“Robin und die Hoods” (“Robin and the Hoods”) takes on questions of birthright, wealth distribution and justice by means of the universally renowned Prince of Thieves, Robin Hood. Playfully, with electro-punk music and dancing in tights, pulk fiktion puts rebellion to the test for audiences 8 and up.
How much are we or would like to be Robin Hood? Which weapons are allowed for a just cause? And what is considered “just” in the first place? How does our complex, modern-day world go beyond the scope of our storybook template?
Selection committee statement excerpt:
“The result is a kind of theatrical discourse that is lots of fun and gets the audience involved. No fourth wall, quite the opposite. (...) With such a quick pace, supported by an ingenious soundtrack, we lose ourselves together with the Hoods and are left with some open questions at the end. However, there is no question about the ensemble’s clear stance on social justice and their call for the redistribution of wealth.With compelling ease, the ensemble takes us along on the journey of a woman who just wants to live her life and discovers her own strength in the face of social isolation.”
Who actually owns the forest? Is sharing really always the best solution? And how do you share fairly? Is it fair to pay the technician to keep the show going? If something is unfair, how far can we go to restore justice? And who determines what is considered fair anyway? Robin and the Hoods attempt to navigate their way through this forest of questions, seeking answers through the means of theatre. A keyboard plays audio snippets from famous film versions of the story that drive the plot forward, and cinematic action sequences are ingeniously transposed for the stage. They rap, shoot arrows and distract the technical villain with a giant Marianne figure. The result is a kind of theatrical discourse that is lots of fun and gets the audience involved. No fourth wall, quite the opposite. The audience members get mixed up in the events, are bribed as witnesses to a robbery and get their share of the loot, which, however, has to be handed back over at the very next moment. To the technician, of course. With such a quick pace, supported by an ingenious soundtrack, we lose ourselves together with the Hoods and are left with some open questions at the end. However, there is no question about the ensemble’s clear stance on social justice and their call for the redistribution of wealth.
pulk fiktion is a Cologne-based performance group founded in 2007. Here, a heterogeneous throng of artists develop productions for children, teens and adults in various constellations based on social issues and pop culture.
pulk fiktion’s productions have been invited to numerous national and international festivals and have been distinguished with several awards.
Production
Concept: pulk fiktion
Directed by: Marcus Thomas
With: Marouf Alhassan, Julia Hoffstaedter, Franziska Schmitz, Nicolas Schneider
Scenery & costumes: Norman Grotegut
Music & sound design: Nicolas Schneider
Choreography: Elisabeth Hofmann
Dramaturgy: Hannah Biedermann
Production: Christina Siegert
Theatre education: Hannah Dijksma, Burak Şengüler
Financial management: transmissions
Performing rights: The theatre company
Sponsored by: Ministry of Culture and Science of the State of North Rhine-Westphalia, City of Cologne Cultural Office and Kunststiftung NRW
