Outlandish Showcase

With: Salome Topuria, Rhys Williams, Kristers Ozols and Jesse Dupré
Produced by Anna Bănică and Outland Theatre Berlin
Poster credits: Freja Sande

Outland Theatre Berlin is proud to be announcing our first ever showcase, which aims to give the stage to four international actors based in Berlin, who have used all their
artistic resources to create, write and act in their own solo shows. From cabaret to dark comedy, from myths to purgatory, these one-person productions are a celebration of
creativity, courage, self-reliance, raw emotion and the next generation of Berlin’s independent international theater scene.
Each night after the performances, there will be a public discussion. All performances, as well as the discussion, will be held in English.

Content warnings: sexual harassment, mentions of suicide and death, sexual references
Trigger warnings: gunshots, strong language, partial nudity, broken glass

The company:
Outland Theatre is a collective of professional, international artists based in Berlin founded in 2023. Our cast and crew members immigrated to Germany within the past few years from countries such as Romania, Latvia, Greece, the United States of America, in order to get an education and pursue a career in the arts. Our company came together out of our need to feel represented within Berlin’s multicultural scene and English-speaking audiences and out of a simultaneous need to hold space for neurodivergent, FLINTA, BIPOC, LGBTQ+ artists and audiences.

The company:
Outland Theatre is a collective of professional, international artists based in Berlin founded in 2023. Our cast and crew members immigrated to Germany within the past few years from countries such as Romania, Latvia, Greece, the United States of America, in order to get an education and pursue a career in the arts. Our company came together out of our need to feel represented within Berlin’s multicultural scene and English-speaking audiences and out of a simultaneous need to hold space for neurodivergent, FLINTA, BIPOC, LGBTQ+ artists and audiences.

The solos:

         •        Vera’s Truth by Salome Topuria
The dark comedy solo focuses on Vera Ballero, an ambitious journalist from Paris, and the famous host of The Shivering Truth, a news programme from Berlin that is intensely focused on global tragedies. However, Vera's relentless pursuit of success is met with challenges, particularly when she confronts the dark side of the industry. When she finds herself removed from her position by the producer she denounced for sexual misconduct, she decides to host her own private show during her final Saturday night live broadcast – to ensure Vera's Truth will be heard. 
Reviews from Edinburgh Fringe 2024:
“A fabulous character study. Vera's Truth is poignant, strong and intelligent. Salome has excellent command of the stage, and subtitles and range of an actor beyond her years. Moving, intriguing and intimate. Recommended!”
“This show knows exactly how to balance between some really dark subjects with emotional gut punches against the well written comedy that brings the tone up a little, Salomé is a very good actor and has a very commanding stage presence.”
About Salome: Salome Topuria is a 21 year old actress from Georgia, based in Paris and Berlin. After having done multiple years of training during her childhood at the Atoneli Theatre ensemble in Georgia, Salome recently graduated from the Catalyst Institute for Creative Arts and Technology Berlin with a BA in Screen Acting. She works internationally and is constantly exploring different mediums within her craft, wishing to express her artistic self to the fullest.
Photo credits: Florian Heidrich

         •        The Queen’s Head by Rhys Williams
The Queen’s Head is a solo period-comedy with elements of absurdity and cabaret, exclusively performed by one actor, who takes the audience on a journey of success and sorrow. The performer embraces the ambiguity of sex and gender in a hilarious manner, as she jumps from character to character, forcing the audience to use their own imagination and face their own confusion, biases and fervor. The story unfurls when a murder causes chaos amongst the inhabitants of the Victorian music hall. Will the show go on? Or will the Queen’s Head and its dwellers face their demise?
Reviews from Edinburgh Fringe 2024:
“A trans body on stage, embracing the ambiguity of sex and gender in a historical context and in a ridiculous manner.”
“Transgender Jekyll and Hyde.”
About Rhys: Rhys Williams is a 20 year old British actor, based in Berlin and the uK. After performing in theatrical productions as a child, she went on to train at the National Youth Theatre in London. She is a graduate with an extended diploma in Acting and Production from the Liverpool Institute for Performing Arts (LIPA) and has a BA in Screen Acting from the Catalyst Institute for Creative Arts and Technology Berlin. Rhys is striving to tell stories from transgender and queer perspectives, using her multiple talents and pushing for authentic storytelling and representation.
Photo credit: Jiyai Chen

         •        That’s it? by Kristers Ozols
What happens when you die? Has capitalism gone too far? What does it mean to be truly lonely? One or all of these questions have crossed our minds at some point in our lives. This semi-interactive performance aims to explore these topics, as the audience is invited to sit in purgatory, waiting to be sent either to heaven or to hell. This choice is made by the manager of the purgatory, Mark, a man who has made it his mission to make people feel comfortable, knowing very well that after his decision is made, he will be alone. A satire of modern day christianity and late stage capitalism, as well as a commentary on contemporary loneliness.
About Kristers: Kristers is a Latvian actor based in Berlin, with a huge background in improvisation, having trained in his native city of Riga and in the highly regarded IO in Chicago. He also has a Bachelor in Screen Acting, he writes, he directs and he hates writing descriptions about himself.
Photo credit: Leo Bonmati

• On The Edge by Jesse Dupré

An exploration of trauma through raucous, yet touching, character comedy. Three people are thrown together in a room, led by an ill-equipped therapist called Linda.
Each character has their own unique story - Cheryl is a self-proclaimed parkour expert from South London who has wrongly spent time in prison, Bonnie is a lonely Australian
wannabe influencer, and Janet - an aging widow with memory loss and a penchant for cheap Crémant.

Reviews: 
"Brought to life by the immensely talented Dupré", "Funny, visceral and ambitious" - Binge Fringe (4 stars)
"Jesse excels at making each character distinct with a variety of accents and props" - Broadway Baby

About Jesse: Jesse is a theater maker from London, living in Berlin since June 2023. She specializes in physical theater and dark comedy. She has an MA in Physical Theatre and a BA in French and Russian. She trained in improvisation at SAK Comedy Lab (USA) and in clowning at Ecole Philippe Gaulier in Paris. She founded her own multi-award winning female-led company Haste Theatre in 2013, with whom she has developed and performed 7 shows that have played nationally and internationally. On The Edge is her first solo show, created in December 2022 and funded by Arts Council England.

Photo credit: Ali Wright