Psyche is so beautiful that even Venus, the goddess of beauty, envies her. Venus orders her child Cupid to punish Psyche – but Cupid falls in love with her instead. So goes the classical tale. This production features its own unique version of the story that does away with all that romantic stuff: Psyche does not fall in love with Cupid. In order to avoid punishment, she is aided by some hardworking ants and sinister dragons. Psyche goes from one adventure to the next until she realizes that she actually has supernatural powers that can help her become a goddess herself.
Selection committee statement excerpt:
“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.”
Psyche is beautiful. Not just attractive, not just pretty. No. Psyche is so stunning that those who see her declare her to be the epitome of beauty, causing Venus herself to become envious. However, anyone hoping for a nice, traditional fairytale – with heroes, gods and damsels in distress – will be delightfully disappointed. With Thorsten Bihegue’s adaptation and staging, it soon becomes clear that this time no one is going to wait around for some knight in shining armour – especially since his help comes with some questionable conditions in the classical story.
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. And throughout it all, the sound of Venus is ever-present! A constant reminder that sometimes merely living a self-determined life is an act of resistance and that while an ideal can be admired or even revered, it can never be loved.
Junge Bühne Bochum (JuBB for short) was founded in 2018, born out of a group of artists who had previously developed productions for young audiences at Schauspielhaus Bochum. Some of those productions have been assumed into JuBB’s repertoire, including the production “Lindbergh – Die abenteuerliche Geschichte einer fliegenden Maus" (“Lindbergh – The Adventurous Tale of a Flying Mouse”, directed by van Boxen), which was distinguished with the Faust Theatre Award in 2018. As an independent theatre company, JuBB takes an interdisciplinary approach, with fluid boundaries between drama, performance art, music and dance. Its productions span from classical fairytales to scenic experiments.
Production
Junge Bühne Bochum
A coproduction with Prinz Regent Theater Bochum and Ko-Labor Bochum
Written & directed by: Thorsten Bihegue
Performance & music: Lea Kallmeier, Manuel Loos, Maria Trautmann, Pia Alena Wagner
Scenery: Michael Habelitz
Costumes: Esther van de Pas
Production assistant: Marlene Helling
Performing rights: The theatre company
Sponsored by: NRW State Office for the Independent Performing Arts, the city of Bochum, Ruhr Regional Association, Sparkasse Bochum
