‘If only revolutions could always play out in such a relaxed and witty manner as this evening from Andcompany & Co. in the HAU 2 theatre. It’s true that the four revolutionary ladies, Nina Kronjäger, Mira Partecke, Claudia Splitt and Mariana Senne, begin here too by pulling the theory primers out of their belts like colts and read ‘MRX-Maschinelles’ by Luise Meier.

Soon, however, they swap the books for instruments and nonchalantly play some depressive (post)revolutionary blues. No, this doesn’t mean the revolution has been laid to rest for Alexander Karschnia and his crew, the most well-read permanent revolutionaries among the performers. But without a feeling for looseness, and for the meandering holes in the rampant all-in-one system (cf. MRX), no revolution will be possible anyway.

Blowing Away Depression

The performance ‘Invisible Republic’ searches for and celebrates this feeling for hidden paths, to mark the big revolutionary jubilee of 2018 (Marx’ 200th anniversary, 100 years since the November Revolution, 50 years since 1968). And it does this in an exhilaratingly engaged mix of Luc Godard theatre, readings, slipper-wearing choreography with witches’ hats, spirit and wit, so that every ‘post-revolutionary depression’ (Bini Adamczak) here suddenly seems to have been blown away.