'Der Zinnsoldat und die Papiertänzerin'

A special experience thematically titled ‘Faraway Fantasies’ in Chennai to begin the holy winter season with magical stories that are not only joyful but also giving a lot of hope for the future.

Goethe-Institut / Max Mueller Bhavan Chennai
presents a Theatre Performance
of the Tamil Translation of the German Play

‘Der Zinnsoldat und die Papiertänzerin’
by Roland Schimmelpfennig
ஈயச்சிப்பாயும் காகித நர்த்தகியும்
by Hem Mahesh & P Seralathan

As part of the regional project
‘Contemporary German Drama in South-Asian Languages’

For Schools:
on Thursday, 1st December 2022 at 11.00 am & 2.00 pm
on Friday, 2nd December 2022 at 11.00 am & 2.00 pm
on Saturday, 3rd December 2022 at 11.00 am & 2.00 pm
at Goethe-Institut Auditorium des Goethe-Instituts.

Open to All
on 2nd and 3rd December 2022 at 7.00 pm
at Goethe-Institut Auditorium

Visualization, Dramaturgy by Shakthi Ramani & Preethi Bharadwaj
Performance by Theatre Nisha

Contemporary Drama in Translation

Contemporary German-language drama is characterized by enormous variety. Many playscripts written in German are known to audiences in Asia primarily through their English translations. It would of course be far preferable to present these plays to the public in Asian languages. Those reflections are what gave rise to our project: contemporary German-language drama in six South Asian languages – Bangla, Hindi, Marathi, Sinhalese, Tamil, and Urdu.
Contemporary Drama in Translation - Goethe-Institut Indien

Roland Schimmelpfennig

Writer, director, and dramaturg Roland Schimmelpfennig, one of Germany’s most widely produced contemporary playwrights, belongs to the tradition of literary drama: for him, the literary text remains the starting-point and central reference for stagings of his plays. And that’s the key connection between his work and theatre in India – for here too, (non-musical) theatre is based above all on the text. Schimmelpfennig also has experience in the area of theatre translation.

During the workshop, Schimmelpfennig discussed the scripts that had been chosen with the individual translators; eight of his plays are being translated into various South Asian languages. Schimmelpfennig also elaborated on additional aspects of theatre practice in relation to his scripts, thus broadening the perspective of the translators.

Link: Roland Schimmelpfennig - Selected Plays - Goethe-Institut Indien

The Tin Soldier and the Paper Ballerina
Once upon a time, there was a paper ballerina and a tin soldier with only one leg, nobody was fond of either of them. They were not part of the collection of toys, they were just arbritrarily placed on the window ledge. Love at first site – no sooner that they discover the lovely feeling, the window opens and unwillingly, they are forced to embark upon an adventure. He is heavy like a stone, he falls down – she is as light as a feather, she whirls in the air.
Two journeys, two stories. They narrate the flight into the clouds, wild paper boat cruises through the canalisation, merciless procedure of passport control at the border. During the onslaught of risks and dangers, there is only one consolation for both – they remember that the journey started together. They almost travel through a miracle and meet at the end on the kitchen board and their story gets united, becomes one. They have toiled through and survived water and fire, now they stand in front of the audience and tell the story.
One of the most widely performed contemporary playwright from Germany, Roland Schimmelpfennig has developed a captivating script based on the renowned fairy tale. He directs the play himself.

Link: Roland Schimmelpfennig - Selected Plays - Goethe-Institut Indien

Theatre Nisha is a 21-year old Chennai-based theatre company. Inspired by the cornerstones of instinct, intuition, impulse and imagination, the company produces plays and conducts workshops and training sessions for actors, teachers, students and corporates. Founded and led by V Balakrishnan, an alumnus of the Shri Ram Centre for Performing Arts and the National School of Drama, Theatre Nisha has staged over 100 productions and participated in more than 15 international and national theatre festivals. For more information on the company, visit – www.theatrenisha.com

All are Welcome as per Pandemic Protocols*
Seating on First-Come-First-Served basis.

School Invite for German-Tamil Play
Invite for All German-Tamil Play