co-pro

Romeo and Juliet in Kampala

With a Ugandan-German team, we transport the classic piece of the former colonialists to a marketplace in the heart of the Ugandan capital, Kampala: During the morning setup of the market stalls, the "Chiefu," leader of the market, bursts in: Romeo and Juliet have been found dead under mysterious circumstances. The parents have offered a high reward for the clarification of the events. So, the mango vendor Masappe, pub owner Okiror, T-shirt saleswoman Nightie, and potato carrier Kyakabale, along with their "Chiefu," embark on a journey to uncover the background... Under the direction of director Simon Eifeler and theater poet Kagayi Ngobi, choreographed by Uganda's most famous breakdancer Tekya Abramz and accompanied by percussionist Ejuku, the production takes you into the melting pot of Kampala – for a unique experience of German-Ugandan theater art in Ugandan and English languages, which is easily understandable even without language skills. 

Production

bridgeworks, in cooperation with fred - Freies Ensemble Düsseldorf, the Kitara Nation Uganda, and the Breakdance Project Uganda, presents the classic "Romeo and Juliet" as a modern Ugandan adaptation with percussion and urban dance. The unique story of the lovers from Verona is transferred to the microcosm of a typical marketplace in Uganda's capital, Kampala.The production combines classic European theater style, Ugandan storytelling, percussion elements, and breakdance. With a Ugandan-German team, in intense exchange and with special transcultural sensitivity, the production and the long-standing collaboration between Germany and Kampala are carried out as a fair cooperation.The play "Romeo and Juliet in Kampala" was produced in the summer of 2019 in Düsseldorf and Cologne and premiered in both cities as well as in Uganda's capital, Kampala. In 2021, the production returned to Germany for a guest performance and work with schools. As part of a revival and guest performance tour in 2022, two performances took place in Cologne, including at the AFROMOJA Market at the Kulturbunker in Mülheim, as well as six school workshops at secondary schools in Cologne, Düsseldorf, and Bergisch-Gladbach. 

Trailer

Team

FROM AND WITH Abraham ‘Abramz’ Tekya // Byamukama Bryan Powerz // Ejuku // Kagayi Ngobi // Kifuko ‘Key’ Moureen Drichiru // Simon Eifeler // Felix Banholzer // TRANSCULTURAL GUIDING Benjamin Nii Amu Solomon // COSTUME Isabell Ziegler // CULTURAL MANAGEMENT Janna Hüttebräucker // Lisa Lehnen // Viola Hilbing

Supported by Fonds Darstellende Künste, Landesbüro Freie Darstellende Künste NRW, LAG Soziokultur NRW, landesbuero tanz nrw and Kulturamt Düsseldorf