Nothing Political

By and with Nikusha Bakradze, Sopho Zeragia, Magda Lebanidze, Tamri Okhikiani, Sandro Samkharadze, Davit Khorbaladze

Part of “Love is a Verb #2”

How can theatre be done while people are protesting on the streets for the preservation of democracy and against an autocratic turnaround? A young Georgian collective combines personal memories with photos, videos, live music, drag and fiction.

The starting point of “Nothing Political” is the disputed parliamentary elections of October 2024 and the subsequent protests against the government's political course, in particular against the departure from Georgia's constitutionally enshrined European integration. The members of the collective that developed the performance took part in the demonstrations in Tbilisi themselves.

On stage, personal memories and documentary materials such as photos and recordings are intertwined with live music, drag and fiction. Political events become personal stories, personal stories become fiction. Between pain, solidarity, humor and hope, “Nothing Political” tells of the protests and brings together voices, gestures and images that oppose disappearance. The result is a contradictory, polyphonic archive of a present tense in political resistance.

Press comment: “What stands out most clearly is the work's resistance to explanation. In a cultural environment saturated with instant interpretation, NOTHING POLITICAL withholds clarity. It offers material and leaves meaning in suspension. This demand can feel exacting. Some viewers want to continue searching for a clearer statement, a more legitimate position. Others wants to recognize in this withholding a form of precision. The piece preserves the contradictions from which it emerges.” Georgia Today

Collective: Nikusha Bakradze, Sopho Zeragia, Magda Lebanidze, Tamri Okhikiani, Sandro Samkharadze, Davit Khorbaladze/Production Management: Ana Gurgenidze/Production Management (International): Nutsa Burjanadze, Tamar Laliashvili

The performance contains passages with loud music and sudden loud sound effects, and hearing protection is available free of charge at the cloakrooms. Physical and psychological violence, battle scenes and vomiting are presented, and mental illnesses are addressed. There is interaction with the audience.

HAU3 is unfortunately not barrier-free. The theatre is accessible via the stairwell (3rd floor). So that we can offer optimal service under these circumstances, please contact our ticketing & service team at +49 (0) 30 259004-27 or by email at tickets@hebbel-am-ufer.de.