Play 2026 at Chamäleon Berlin Celebrates Contemporary Circus

With the third edition of the Play guest performance series, Chamäleon Berlin invites you once again to take an excursion through the world of contemporary circus, starting on January 22, 2026. Nine companies bring different styles, focuses, and perspectives to the stage at Hackescher Markt, presenting works with influences from Germany, France, Ukraine, Portugal, Spain, Czechia, New Zealand, Iran, and Belgium.

In Play 2026, artistic boundaries are brought to life, norms and conventions are questioned, and nonverbal communication with the audience is initiated. The invited artists are all characterized by a strong stage language and a clear commitment to confrontation: only those who show themselves can find common ground; only those who courageously leave their comfort zone can experience enrichment.

Big names of the scene, such as the Tabori Prize and Cologne Dance Prize-winning company Overhead Project and the successful New Zealand mime artist Trygve Wakenshaw, are celebrating their Chamäleon debut. Well-known members of the Chamäleon circus family are also taking part: Circus Sonnenstich makes inclusion and participation a powerful stage message; the Berlin trapeze and puppet duo Raum 305 concludes its trilogy about the eternal search for the other; the work of Ana Jordão from Berlin, which emerged from the Chamäleon residency-programme, also finds its place, as does the outstanding and haunting performance on consensus and trust by Elena Zanzu from Barcelona.

„With Play, we want to create a space that supports artistic intervention,” says Chamäleon artistic director Anke Politz. The aim is to showcase strong artistic perspectives in all their diversity and relevance in an open and friendly venue and to engage in dialogue with the audience. “That’s why in 2026 Chamäleon will be staging plays that deal with social and, in some cases, political issues from a very personal perspective in order to create closeness and understanding. Circus always plays for an audience, and Play is also an invitation to talk afterwards.”

The issue of accessibility plays a central role. With reduced admission prices and a comprehensive accompanying programme — including audience guides, panel discussions, introductory talks, and Q&As with the artists — Play aims to inspire new audiences to engage with contemporary circus and open up new horizons for its regular audience.

At the same time, the programme itself and audience outreach programme are also intended to offer artists new opportunities, as Chamäleon dramaturg Geordie Brookman emphasizes: “For some, it will be their debut on the Chamäleon stage and the starting point for a joint journey – for others, it offers the opportunity to deepen their artistic work and expand their points of contact.” According to artistic director Anke Politz, even the theatre itself benefits: “Each production broadens our understanding of what contemporary circus can be and thus the scope for our future work.”

This is particularly true of the opening piece, Glorious Bodies, by the Flemish ensemble Circumstances: in it, six acrobats aged between 57 and 69 demonstrate how much strength, grace, and wisdom their bodies possess, even beyond the aesthetics of peak performance. Choreographed by Piet Van Dycke, the piece has already enjoyed great success throughout Europe and can now be seen in Berlin for the first time. Another exciting new approach is that of juggler Roxana Küwen Arsalan from the لبلب bolbol company: In her autobiographical piece OMÂ, she imagines her German grandmother and her Iranian grandmother sitting together over tea and chatting about their granddaughter – a humorous and touching piece about heritage and prejudice, for everyone whose roots extend beyond just one country.

At the end of Play, another special encounter awaits with Palianytsia by the Zalataï company: the title refers to the name of a traditional Ukrainian bread that has become a symbol of the resilience of a threatened culture in the wake of the current war. In the performance, juggler Alexander Koblikov and multicord artist Charlotte de la Bretèque combine almost supernatural technical virtuosity with a very personal form of storytelling — a love story that not only reflects on the war in Ukraine, but also tells of the human ability to seek and find light in dark times.

Play is also made possible by funding from the Capital City Cultural Fund (Hauptstadtkulturfonds). “After the huge success of the first two editions of Play, we are delighted to be able to continue this chapter and showcase even more diversity, because contemporary circus can also be accessible and inviting even in edgy or abstract forms,” says Anke Politz. It has the magical ability to communicate without having to use any language. “We look forward to lots of exchange, inspiration, and yes, also to drawing hope and strength from the productions and from being together by ‘thinking outside the box’.”

Play 2026 Line Up

January 22 – January 25, 2026- Glorious Bodies von Circumstances

January 29 – January 30, 2026 – Ez von Elena Zanzu

January 31 – February 01, 2026 – Blueprint von Overhead Project

February 03 – February 05, 2026 – a body and other objects von Ana Jordão

February 06 – February 08, 2026 – HIER SOWIE DORT von Raum 305

February 11 – February 12, 2026 – Mimoto von Circus Sonnenstich

February 13 – February 15, 2026 – Silly Little Things von Trygve Wakenshaw

February 17 – February 19, 2026 – ÔMA von Compagnie لبلب bolbol

February 20 – February 22, 2026 – Palianytsia von Compagnie Zalataï

All images are courtesy of Chamäleon Berlin.  Main image:  Glorious Bodies by Circumstances.