Josephine Baker

On the outer level, the story is about 'Oh, Josephine'. A charismatic woman 100 years ago. She was beautiful. She knew that men want bare breasts and bananas. She made her money dancing and making movies, mainly wearing that costume.

Of course, Josephine Baker had a miserable childhood, and an early sexual debut. At that time in the 1920s, who else would be running around in a banana skirt? But Thomas Markmann wants much more than to talk about sex and social inheritance. The performance is about politics, power and rebellion. And sex. A perfect combination ever since Shakespeare.

The magical woman who was black and naked

Josephine Baker was not only an attractive woman, she was also a rebellious woman who is an inspiration to you today. Every rebellion starts somewhere in your sexuality, but doesn't end until people stop looking at breasts and instead look at how the more powerful people oppress the more powerless people.

During Josephine's time - the roaring twenties - there was freedom throughout the western world. It was only a moment before the Hays Code in 1930 removed Hollywood's artistic freedom and paved the way for him the little German, him with the very great need to 'protect' Austria, Poland, Denmark and so on.

Before closing time, Josephine Baker comes to Adlon in Copenhagen, 1928, to dance naked with bananas around her waist. This is the basic scene of the play. A Danish nightclub.

Super work from the actors

Malou Takibo plays Josephine Baker. A woman with guts, and she sings fantastically. The performance has music by Marie Louise von Bülow. Melodic and swinging, love it. Rolf Hansen does a great job as the nightclub's emcee, great character work. You will also love Hans Find Møller. He can be Leo Mathiesen right down to the tip of the cigar while playing with his piano. Luise Kirsten Skov is steadfast in the many roles she has in the play.

The scenography is by Nikolaj Heiselberg Trap. The audience sits on both sides of a long structure that looks like a nightclub 100 years ago, and it is a fine stage for a host of historical figures.

Only the dead deserve a street sign with their name on

Dead artists increase in value. That's the way it is. Only the past can tell the truth. That's how it is, and it's the freedom of the show to say something significant about today's people in power. You'll meet Leo Mathiesen. PH. Lulu Ziegler. Gerda Wegener. Agnes Henningsen. Powerful Danish artists who could not artistically survive when the first shots were fired in World War II.

Only Josephine Baker survived as an artist. She had become a French citizen, and she was a woman of resistance during times of war. She set up an orphanage and became very rich. Her money bought a lot of children out of poverty, and she never really understood the basic principles of upbringing. Love had not yet been invented in her childhood home, but sex and violence against women and ethnic minorities had.

You will love the music, the story and the acting

It is rare to see a Danish theater performance with good music on a high artistic level. It is rare to see a truly good story in a Danish play. Both at the same time, with humor and high acting, that's rarer than rare. Don't know what it's called in English?

There are 5 stars for scenography, music, the actors, direction and topicality (despite the fact that the story takes place 100 years ago). The 6th star is for daring to criticize the current coalition government. Last time the 'protective' forces were named Germany. Today, no one knows who 'looks after us'. But we know that we have a coalition government, we know that there is a waiting period of up to 12 years to get free treatment at the hospital. As Thomas Markmann puts it in the play: 'We know we live in a time when welfare for the majority is exchanged for prosperity for the few'.

That's rude, Thomas. Hope you have a good pension scheme. I'm not sure that remark will trigger a lifetime of art support for you. But then you have to live with the fact that the audience loves your art. Teatret Svalegangen is completely sold out in the coming days.

Oh, Josephine, by Thomas Markmann
Cast Rolf Hansen, Louise Kirsten Skov, Marie Louise von Bülow, Hans Find Møller, Malou Takibo
Direction Pelle Nordhøj Kann
Scenography Nikolaj Heiselberg Trap
Composer Marie Louise von Bülow
Lighting Design Flora Pelle Brandt
Choreography Gunilla Lind
Creative Producer Christine Worre Kann
Produced by Teatergrad.

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