“Let’s get together” Berlinale 2023

Bee takes another bite of the Berlinale – her informed and inimitable take on the 73rd annual Berlin International Film Festival in 2023. After being very successful last year, this year’s Berlinale upped the ante and went to 100% capacity. The audiences lapped it up with most screenings selling out and people congregating just like […]

Film Review: Berlinale 2022 Bees Pick of the Best

So this year’s Berlinale Bear dared to roar again! As the first major film fest to go full “in person” in these pandemic times, the festival directors Carlo Chatrian and Mariette Rissenbeek took a risk and it paid off. At 50% capacity most screenings were sold out and the film buzz, while subdued, entered the […]

Live Theatre Review: Purity and laser-like focus for Pierrot Lunaire at Komische Oper

In these uncertain Corona times, you don’t have many opportunities to actually witness live theatre performances inside a venue. So I was very happy, writes Sabine ‘Bee’ Koch, to get a ticket for Pierrot Lunaire at the Komische Oper in Berlin. Categorized as three monodramas – two spoken word only, one with accompanying music – Not I […]

Theatre in the Time of Covid-19 Review: The Plague

With open-air events and meetings permitted for up to 200 people in Berlin from 2 June 2020, intrepid reviewer Sabine Koch sees ‘The Plague’ performed in the open air on the forecourt of the Deutsches Theater. My theatre feast was the open air performance of “Die Pest / The Plague” based on the novel by Albert Camus. The […]

Open Air Theatre Review: Maria Stuart

After months of social distancing and lockdowns, the irrepressible Berlin awakens from its ‘Sleeping Beauty’ cultural  slumber. Some museums have opened their doors for reduced numbers of visitors –  you can actually see the exhibits because of fewer people. The first open-air movie theatres started with their programs. Although these shows are shown as ‘sold out’, […]

Live Theatre At Home – What’s On?

The Covid-19 virus has changed the world within just a few weeks. Almost all countries are afflicted by now with varying degrees of severity. This means we have to adapt, to conform, to take it into consideration. Nations are trying to fight it with all our resources, financially, physically, mentally. We do fear for our […]

Berlinale 2020 – A Mirror of the 21st Century

Berlinale 2020 – One Year After Kosslik The charismatic head of the Berlinale, Dieter Kosslik left after 18 years with amazing successes attached to his name but also growing criticism about the programming of the festival. Instead of finding another Jack of all trades, the Berlinale decided to split the position into artistic director (Carlo […]

Theatre Review: Cyrano de Bergerac with James McAvoy

I love Cyrano. That’s all… Director of the moment Jamie Lloyd has done it once again. After his defining season of Pinter plays culminated in the wonderful Betrayal, he started his residency at the Playhouse Theatre with the production of Cyrano de Bergerac. Yes, that golden Oldie, known for the big nose, hats, feathers and […]

Review: The Lehman Trilogy

This gem of a play had a sold-out run at the National Theatre and then transferred to West End’s Piccadilly Theatre for an equally successful run. It’s now set for Broadway in 2020, so no better time than to shine a light on it. Theatre Review by Bee. Starting with the crash of the Lehman […]

New York – Bee Style

When you think of New York, you think of Broadway, the Statue of Liberty, the 9-11 Memorial or the MOMA. Famous landmarks for sure and not to be missed, but New York has other little gems, that offer brilliant experiences a bit left of center. Here are arts reviewer Sabine Bee Koch’s current picks: Brooklyn […]