Ades Zabel is turning 50! The Schwules Museum congratulates the Berlin cult comedy star with the birthday show Ades’ Wonderland – 50 Years of Cult Comedy.
Ades Zabel is cult. The Berlin comedian is known to the public through such stage trash gems as Edith – Eine deutsche Hausfrau (Edith – a German Housewife), Croco Diabolo – Der Tod lauert in der Handtasche (Croco Diabolo – Death Lurking in the Handbag) and legendary Christmas and New Year’s shows. After initial film experiments on Super 8 in the 1980’s and 1990’s, the films Die Drei Drachen vom Grill Teil 1-3 (Three Dragons from the Fast Food Grill Parts 1-3) followed in 1992, then from 2000 larger cinematic productions such as: Mutti: The Movie (2003) and 18.15 Uhr ab Ostkreuz (Departing 18:15 from Ostkreuz) (2006). As a comedian, Ades Zabel, co-founder of the comedy and cabaret group Teufelsberg Produktion aka die Teufelsberger, took the stages of the German capital in the guises of his alter egos Edith Schröder, Hüriyett Lachmann and Karin Höhne. Born and raised in Berlin, he is especially fond of the real-life peculiarities of the city’s Neukölln district, which take center stage again and again in his shows. With bawdy humor, impressive songs, a love for improvisation and always in trashy drag, clichés are celebrated – and critical tones are struck as well. Currently, Zabel can be seen with his company in the show Linie 8 (The 8 Line) at the BKA Theater in Berlin.
The exhibition Ades’ Wonderland offers a view inside the world of Ades Zabel and his characters such as has never before been seen. Photographs, posters, flyers, original film and stage scripts, as well as song lyrics and costumes from the shows offer visitors an inside view of the artist’s diverse creative output. Highlights of the exhibition include Ades’ first teddy bear from preschool, the original set from the 2012 Christmas Show as well as the final Teufelsberger logo artwork. In video interviews created specially for the exhibition, Edith, Karin and Hüriyett reveal intimate details of Ades Zabel’s life. A cross-section of 50 years of life and shows, the exhibition presents comedy culture we can touch, move through, participate with – leaving us astonished, squealing and laughing.
The exhibition will be accompanied by events, a film program at Moviemento in Berlin as well as guided tours. All dates will be announced in a timely fashion on the Schwules Museum’s website.
Curator: Michael Fürst