Wed, April 22, 2020 at 7:30 PM
THE QUEEN COMMANDED HIM TO FORGET II
OFIRA HENIG & KHALIFA NATOUR
Pierre Boulez Saal
Director Ofira Henig—most recently seen in Berlin with her productions The Bees’ Road and KIND OF at the Schaubühne’s Internationale Neue Dramatik Festival—and actor-dramaturg Khalifa Natour have developed a new piece for the Pierre Boulez Saal that blurs the boundaries between theater, music, and poetry and between different cultures. The Queen Commanded Him to Forget is based on a novel by Lebanese writer Elias Khoury and also draws inspiration from Brecht’s Mother Courage, Mahler’s Kindertotenlieder, and the tale of Hansel and Gretel. At the center of the story is the character of Umm Hasan, who will do anything to protect her children in times of war. The piece explores the role of literature as a preserver of memory and as part of a process that eternalizes forgetting.
In Arabic with German and English surtitles
Supported by the Rosa-Luxemburg-Stiftung
Artists
Adaptation, Editing and Director
Dramaturgy and Translation
Music
Visual Concept
Poetry
Costume Design
Actor
Actor
Actress
Actor
Assistenz
Technik
Lighting Design
Lichtbildtechniker
EVENT TIMELINE
YOUR VISIT
How to get there
Pierre Boulez Saal
Barenboim-Said Akademie
Französische Straße 33d
10117 Berlin, Germany
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Public transport
U-Bahn U2 Hausvogteiplatz (350m) U5 Museumsinsel, U6 Unter den Linden (600m)
Tram M1, M12 Mitte / Am Kupfergraben
Bus 147 Werderscher Markt (100m), 100, 300, N5 Staatsoper (300m)
By Car
Q-PARK parking garage Unter den Linden / Staatsoper
Bebelplatz 2
10117 Berlin
Theater rate (5:30 pm – 11:30 pm by prepayment): €10
More information on getting there by public transport, bike, or car is available on our Getting there page.
Opening Hours
Box Office
During the summer, the box office will be closed from June 30 to August 1 and from August 11 to September 5, 2025.
Monday to Friday 2 pm to 6 pm
Closed on weekends and holidays
On performance days, the box office is open one hour prior to an event on weekdays and two hours on Saturdays, Sundays, and holidays.
Papagena Call Center
Ticket hotline +49 30 4799 7411
Monday to Saturday 9am to 8pm
Sunday and public holidays 2pm to 8pm
Food & Drinks
Casalot Catering welcomes Pierre Boulez Saal visitors before and after concerts, serving a variety of dishes of Arab cuisine.
On concert nights, the catering opens one hour before the start of an event and remains open after the performance. You may also place pre-orders for intermission right at the counter.
More info on our catering here.
Accessibility
To book wheelchair-accessible seating, other seats for visitors with disabilities, or companion seats, please contact us directly.
+49 30 4799 7411 | tickets@boulezsaal.de
All wheelchair seats are accessible by elevator. All visitors, including patrons using a wheelchair, will enter the Pierre Boulez Saal through the main entrance. Tickets will be checked at the hall doors.
In order to make access as easy as possible, we kindly ask that you inform us of your requirements when booking your tickets.
Restrooms for visitors with disabilities are located in the basement and on the balcony level and are accessible by elevator.
Four parking spaces for visitors with disabilities are available on the street Hinter der Katholischen Kirche.
