faust in the box / english version:
"Have you ever seen a puppet Faust seduce and then make violent love to a Barbie, all to the tune of Bloodhound Gang’s
“The Bad Touch”? If not, you’ve been missing out. ...
What this production does differently … it punctuates the dialogue with clips from pop music, swapping out many of the nineteenth century translation lines, for lyrics from “I Want to Hold Your Hand”, “Like a Virgin”, “Girls Just Want to Have Fun”, “Always Look on the Bright Side of Life”, and many others.
…. Markland’s portrayal of Mephisto was weird and creepy – and therefore accurate. ...
… probably the most bizarre show anyone has ever attended. …
….it was amazing and more than a little disturbing how little times have changed; the show has had no trouble finding songs that handle the same themes as those dealt with, in the 200 year old play. It seems that people will always gossip, flirt, whine, and want to get laid. My conception of Goethe’s masterpiece is forever changed."
Elizabeth Creelman, The Bruns Arts, Fredericton, New Brunswick, Canada, 23 October 2012
--> to read the full article
"... it works so well I became fascinated to see and hear just what was about to happen next.
... It is superbly performed and very very cleverly written and designed...."
4 stars
www.one4review.co.uk / 17 August 2009
"...With almost demonic facial twitches and contortions, she paints a Joker-like, mad... world, changing between the three characters of Faust, Mephistopheles and Gretchen..."
Angie Brown, BBC Scotland / 25 August 2009
to read the full article and interview
25 years on stage anniversary:
A chat with "queer cabaret" artiste Bridge Markland
For 25 years, performer Bridge Markland has been defying sex, gender and genre with a cut-and-paste style of cabaret that incorporates drag performances, lip-syncing, pop and classical music, and personal texts.
Walter Crasshole, Exberliner, Juli 2010
read the full interview
bridgeland zwei:
in short:
”German gender based sex cabaret didn't die with the Weimar republic ...
Her assertive androgyny is theatrically compelling. ...”
Adelaide Advertiser, Australia, 26 Nov 2009
“Bizarre Berlin graces the stage ... as compellingly curious as it is off the wall.
bridgeland zwei is perhaps the most unique performance of the year. Markland’s comedy stems from an expressive face, impressive tongue, and beautiful timing.
... an outlandish show ... ”
GLAM Adelaide, Australia, 26 Nov 2009
”...Bridge Markland, a one-”woman” dynamo with moves to kill and looks that'll leave you speechless, giving us probably the best solo act at Feast for the past three years. ...Taking gender to its ultimate conclusion, Berlin's Markland begins her performance the way she intends to continue: totally upfront... “
The Independent Weekly, Adelaide, Australia, 25 Nov 2009
”...Performing achievement which is rarely seen in our country."
DELOSKOP Magazine, Ljubljana, Slovenia, March 2004
in longer:
"bridgeland zwei ... phantastisch!
Stage left: enter Bridge Markland, a one-”woman” dynamo with moves to kill and looks that'll leave you speechless, giving us probably the best solo act at Feast for the past three years.
Taking gender to its ultimate conclusion, Berlin's Markland begins her performance the way she intends to continue: totally upfront.
After successfully performing in her native land, as well as at various festivals worldwide, and, hailing from a dance background, Bridge Markland's bilingual/bixsexual show makes a statement about binary gender which is applaudable for its no-nonsense integrity. No gimmicks, just a “slow-change” from female to male and then into something hybrid; writhing at the base of womb-esque graphics.
Punctuated with crowd interaction, sly humour, distinct facial expressions, and a fluidity of movement that bears comparison in content and choreography to Pina Bausch – this one-hour show was over far too quickly.
Whatever is going on in bridgeland zwei both entrances and illuminates: not merely the fallacy of adopting, and adhering to, a duality philosophy as the “only” alternative, but in educating an engrossed audience through dialogue, mime, mannerisms and movement. Where other shows have failed, for whatever reason, to supersede binary, bridgeland zwei has found a simple solution: laugh at the ludicrousness of it.
Miss it, and you'll never know how good Bridge Markland looks in a pin-striped suit, or how good you might look in an evening gown. Ausgezeichnet."
Teri Louise Kelly, The Independent Weekly, Adelaide, Australia, 25 Nov 2009
“Bizarre Berlin graces the stage for an all too short season of “bridgeland zwei” in this year’s Feast Festival. Bridge Markland’s solo offering from Germany is as compellingly curious as it is off the wall.
Spoken in both German and English, she/he/it writhes and gesticulates to bilingual narrations that are dark, poetic, comedic and nonsensical.
There is no plot, but rather a series of stand-alone vignettes that showcase Markland’s talent and creativity. Her dance history is evident in both the fluidity of her movements and her exceptionally quirky style.
She begins as the most beautiful woman in the world, described in detail through pre-recorded voiceovers as we observe her flirtations and drunken deterioration into something less attractive.
She’s soon close to naked and flirting with the audience before donning a pin striped suit and becoming a man. There are no tricks to her transgender transformations. She changes slowly, her masculinity growing with each added layer of clothing.
From man to thing, she’s reborn next into a sexual creature of sensation, stripped of thought and inhibition.
bridgeland zwei is perhaps the most unique performance of the year. Markland’s comedy stems from an expressive face, impressive tongue, and beautiful timing. If anything, it is a movement piece with poetry and music...
While such an outlandish show may not suit everyone’s taste, this should fascinate those who enjoy whetting their appetite with something new. It will make you laugh and frown, but come away smiling.”
Rod Lewis, GLAM Adelaide, Australia, 26 Nov 2009
”German gender based sex cabaret didn't die with the Weimar republic and Bridge Markland brings to Feast an unusual and ... entertaining solo show. She's much more than a double breasted woman in a single breasted suit.
Her physical skills are impressive and her thoughts, in German and English are full of wry observations on romance and attraction, delivered by the soundtrack, which also includes Marlene Dietrich vintage show songs.
Markland begins as a voluptuous red headed woman in emerald green satin, the object of spoken desire, who slowly collapses into drunken exposure finally removing the lustrous hair and frock to reveal the shaven head and muscular body of a dancer. As she dresses slowly, again with commentary, in a business suit, she is the embodiment of power dressing.. The hand drawn moustache adds a baroque touch to her finely sculpted skull. Her assertive androgyny is theatrically compelling. ...”
Ewart Shaw, Adelaide Advertiser, Australia, 26 Nov 2009
"The Berlin artist Bridge Markland conceived her cross-dressing show upon playing with female and male stereotypes… The highest points of the performance are by all means these minimalist but very effective gender transformations… These role changes are by no means products of any kind of secret tricks… (she) reaches truly chameleonic changes above all with her extraordinary body and face pantomime…
Performing achievement which is rarely seen in our country."
Suzana Tratnik, DELOSKOP Magazine, Ljubljana, Slovenia, March 2004