FALLING | IN LOVE Celebrates Its World Premiere at the Friedrichstadt-Palast Berlin

FALLING | IN LOVE celebrated its World Premiere at the Friedrichstadt-Palast Berlin. The most dazzling Grand Show yet – curated by Jean Paul Gaultier.

Filled to capacity with 1,900 guests who included countless prominent figures from politics, culture and society, the Palast celebrated the World Premiere of its most expensive production to date this evening on the world's biggest theatre stage. There was no holding back for the final bow and the cast and ensemble were celebrated with a veritable storm of enthusiasm and lengthy standing ovations. French star designer Jean Paul Gaultier also contributes his ingenious signature style to the new FALLING | IN LOVE Grand Show. He created Berlin's new show jewel together with an international creative team.

About the theatre: The Friedrichstadt-Palast Berlin, or Palast Berlin for short, has the world's biggest theatre stage. It is a state theatre owned by the city of Berlin. The theatre has Jewish roots, as theatre entrepreneur Max Reinhardt, an Austrian of Jewish descent, opened a playhouse here back in 1919, which became the present-day Palast in 1947. During the Nazi era from 1933 to 1945, the National Socialists took over the theatre. Propaganda Minister Joseph Goebbels turned it into the biggest propaganda theatre of the Third Reich. At the time of German division (Berlin Wall), the theatre was located in the eastern part of Berlin, in the German Democratic Republic (GDR).

It is precisely against this historical backdrop that the Palast today stands for democracy, freedom and diversity. The ensemble comprises around 500 people from 28 nations. Revue shows are performed at the Palast. Known as Grand Shows due to their immense dimensions, they involve 100 artists, a 16-piece show band and 60 dancers along with soloists and further performers. Revues are not musicals; the narrative is essentially portrayed in pictures and through the dance choreography. Hence the Grand Shows are also suitable for guests with no knowledge of German. The New York Times recommends the Palast to tourists as a “must-see in Berlin!”.

The new Grand Show has a production budget of around 14 million euros. Thanks to an exclusive cooperation with the Austrian company Swarovski, 100 million Swarovski crystals make the most visited theatre in the German capital sparkle. That's a new world record. There's never been such a rush of crystals like this before, either in a film or on stage. One of the 100,000,000 crystals is the largest cut Swarovski crystal in the world and weighs a whopping 180 kilograms.

FALLING | IN LOVE is curated by Parisian star designer Jean Paul Gaultier. Not only did he design costumes himself, but he also brought in two up-and-coming design teams to work alongside him, namely Fecal Matter and Sasha Frolova. As Visual Art Director, he also contributed his aesthetic vision to the stage design.

Well over 100,000 tickets for the show had already been sold by the time of the World Premiere.

The lead character in the new Grand Show is You, a young, deaf poet. You feel misunderstood and only want to sink into the ground. The asphalt of civilisation does indeed then break open beneath him and he falls into the slumbering Garden of Love. Will You ultimately find the words to make beauty and love blossom in our world again in all their colours?

Visual Design Director and Curator, Jean Paul Gaultier: “The Palast is a theatre of superlatives. It is an honour and at the same time a great pleasure for me to once again work with the fantastic ensemble and creative team – as costume designer, curator and visual design director for the world's biggest theatre stage.”

Among the guests to attend the World Premiere were: Jean Paul Gaultier, Jedward, Conchita Wurst, Jean-Christophe Bouvet, Joy Sunday, Stefania, William Abadie and Ashley Thomas.

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