The Ensemble
The Barbarian Barbies are an international contemporary circus collective based in Berlin. Combining their love of comedy with the circus for the stage is at the forefront of their creations. Their refreshing unapologetic comedy combined with dance, theatre and modern circus offers a fresh, bold and entertaining approach to the work.
Stemming from Germany, Canada, Finland and New Zealand these five Barbarians came together during the early days of the pandemic to conjure up and collectively brew their many talents. They have individually toured internationally on various productions and have now come together to create their debut show, the self-titled: The Barbarian Barbies. This production will premiere in January 2022 at the Pfefferberg Theatre after residencies at Tollhaus in Karlsruhe, Pfefferberg Theatre and Katapult in Berlin, with support from the Fonds Darstellende Künste e.V. We bring our bold opinions to light, our brash humour to the front and our vast talents to the stage.
SARAH BLEASDALE
Sarah Bleasdale is a New Zealand-born choreographer and performer, based in Berlin. Sarah holds a Bachelor of Arts in Contemporary Dance and Choreography and a Commercial Dance Diploma, after completing a BA in Politics. In 2016 She was an award winner at Gdansk Festival Dansa’s Solo Dance Competition for her choreography and performance of SMIRK. In 2019 she was granted a residency and premiere from the festival for her group work INNERMEN. Sarah has danced for Cie. Antonia Baehr (GER), GAU Company (GER), SOIT/Cie. Hans Van den Broeck (BEL), Renan Martins (GER/BR) and the Belgian 20 For Brussels:Young Choreographers under Marie Martinez. Sarah is a long-time choreographic collaborator with the Belgian Theatre Group UBIK for their evolving work Fas 3. Commercially, Sarah performs as a Drag King and comedic Burlesque entertainer in London, Berlin, Cologne, Brussels, and New Zealand. Gender and sexuality are the cornerstone of many of Sarah’s artistic explorations. In Berlin Sarah regularly tutors movement workshops at Catalyst University and teaches yoga.
SARAH BLEASDALE
Sarah Bleasdale is a New Zealand-born choreographer and performer, based in Berlin. Sarah holds a Bachelor of Arts in Contemporary Dance and Choreography and a Commercial Dance Diploma, after completing a BA in Politics. In 2016 She was an award winner at Gdansk Festival Dansa’s Solo Dance Competition for her choreography and performance of SMIRK. In 2019 she was granted a residency and premiere from the festival for her group work INNERMEN. Sarah has danced for Cie. Antonia Baehr (GER), GAU Company (GER), SOIT/Cie. Hans Van den Broeck (BEL), Renan Martins (GER/BR) and the Belgian 20 For Brussels:Young Choreographers under Marie Martinez. Sarah is a long-time choreographic collaborator with the Belgian Theatre Group UBIK for their evolving work Fas 3. Commercially, Sarah performs as a Drag King and comedic Burlesque entertainer in London, Berlin, Cologne, Brussels, and New Zealand. Gender and sexuality are the cornerstone of many of Sarah’s artistic explorations. In Berlin Sarah regularly tutors movement workshops at Catalyst University and teaches yoga.
SARAH LINDERMAYER
Sarah Lindermayer is one of the few tightwire dancers in Germany and a Chinese pole acrobat. In 2011 Sarah graduated from Berlin’s State Circus School. For the first five years of her career, she worked under the name of Duo 3fach together with her aerial-acrobatic partner Antonia Modersohn. They successfully played for several theatres in the german varieté scene (GOP Varieté, Varieté et Cetera and Café Hahn). Throughout the years besides performing solo on the wire and the pole, she has stepped into other genres like acting, singing and clowning.
She has performed and worked at circus festivals like Sortie de bains in Granville, Eclat de rue in Caen, Mime Festival in Chuncheon, Festival Circada in Seville, Festival Kaldearte in Victoria. Later lending her talents to to the art world where she was part of the installation Angst 2 from Anne Imhof at the Museum for Modern Art in Berlin and the performance concert for Happiness Seriousness with the orchestra Klangforum Wien. Currently, she is working with the Berlin-based circus companies Die Artistokraten and Coq Au Vin and the french circus company Cirque Entre Nous. Since 2021 she is part of the new creation Opening with Analaog the company.
SARAH LINDERMAYER
Sarah Lindermayer is one of the few tightwire dancers in Germany and a Chinese pole acrobat. In 2011 Sarah graduated from Berlin’s State Circus School. For the first five years of her career, she worked under the name of Duo 3fach together with her aerial-acrobatic partner Antonia Modersohn. They successfully played for several theatres in the german varieté scene (GOP Varieté, Varieté et Cetera and Café Hahn). Throughout the years besides performing solo on the wire and the pole, she has stepped into other genres like acting, singing and clowning.
She has performed and worked at circus festivals like Sortie de bains in Granville, Eclat de rue in Caen, Mime Festival in Chuncheon, Festival Circada in Seville, Festival Kaldearte in Victoria. Later lending her talents to to the art world where she was part of the installation Angst 2 from Anne Imhof at the Museum for Modern Art in Berlin and the performance concert for Happiness Seriousness with the orchestra Klangforum Wien. Currently, she is working with the Berlin-based circus companies Die Artistokraten and Coq Au Vin and the french circus company Cirque Entre Nous. Since 2021 she is part of the new creation Opening with Analaog the company.
VANESSA LEE
Vanessa Lee is a multidisciplinary circus artist, grew up in an Artist family, went to Berlin’s State Circus School and got inspired to create a woman’s circus show. Vanessa has worked all over the world performing shows with different circus companies and teaching the art of circus and body movement. Over the years her interests have expanded from aerial acrobatics and juggling to creating a variety of acts in combination with unique twists and surprises like Tap Dancing, Acrobatics, Fake contortion and Magic. With a keen desire to build costumes and the creative mind to create different illusions, she is constantly collecting things for shows.
VANESSA LEE
Vanessa Lee is a multidisciplinary circus artist, grew up in an Artist family, went to Berlin’s State Circus School and got inspired to create a woman’s circus show. Vanessa has worked all over the world performing shows with different circus companies and teaching the art of circus and body movement. Over the years her interests have expanded from aerial acrobatics and juggling to creating a variety of acts in combination with unique twists and surprises like Tap Dancing, Acrobatics, Fake contortion and Magic. With a keen desire to build costumes and the creative mind to create different illusions, she is constantly collecting things for shows.
SARI MÄKELÄ
Sari Mäkelä was a big fan of costume parties as a child and she loved to create crazy eccentric characters and imaginative stories. Nothing has changed much since then. Sari’s career with performance started at the early age of seven at her hometown’s circus school. Later on, she studied acting in the Theater Academy of Finland, and in 2010 started her studies at CAU, a circus and theatre school in Granada, Spain. In 2017 to 2019, she furthered her studies of clown and theatre at Ecole Philippe Gaulier in France.
On stage her performances exude a delightful combination of circus talent, Theater and clown. Most famously and well known is her award-winning character Marjatta, a cheeky old grandmother from Finland. With this character, she has performed throughout Europe and Asia, both street theatre festivals and varieties alike. Her hula hoop number as Marjatta won the first prize in Cyrkulacja-competition in 2019.
SARI MÄKELÄ
Sari Mäkelä was a big fan of costume parties as a child and she loved to create crazy eccentric characters and imaginative stories. Nothing has changed much since then. Sari’s career with performance started at the early age of seven at her hometown’s circus school. Later on, she studied acting in the Theater Academy of Finland, and in 2010 started her studies at CAU, a circus and theatre school in Granada, Spain. In 2017 to 2019, she furthered her studies of clown and theatre at Ecole Philippe Gaulier in France.
On stage her performances exude a delightful combination of circus talent, Theater and clown. Most famously and well known is her award-winning character Marjatta, a cheeky old grandmother from Finland. With this character, she has performed throughout Europe and Asia, both street theatre festivals and varieties alike. Her hula hoop number as Marjatta won the first prize in Cyrkulacja-competition in 2019.
NICOLE RATJEN
Nicole Ratjen studied and trained at Le École Internationale de Théâtre Jacques Lecoq in Paris after completion of her BFA at York University in Toronto. Nicole has toured and worked across Canada, throughout Europe and all around Australia delighting circus and theatre audiences alike with her physical and no-holds-barred humour. She is one-third of GLB, Berlin’s longest-running English-language long-form improv team, A company member of Theatrefragile, who performs mask theatre in public spaces and when not on tour she can be seen onstage hosting Zirkus Mond. As a writer, she is a member of the Playwrights Guild of Canada and in 2019 she published a book of 33 monologues for women, titled 33 X Nikki with successful launches in Berlin and Toronto. Fostering and growing the artistic community is incredibly important to Nicole. As an instructor, she has brought her talents to teaching the techniques of theatre such as Improvisation, Mask, Clown, Acting and Devised Theatre. Selected credits include: Lübeck Theater, Schauspiel Hannover, Catalyst Institute of Creative Arts and Technology, Schauspiel Köln and Comedy Cafe Berlin
NICOLE RATJEN
Nicole Ratjen studied and trained at Le École Internationale de Théâtre Jacques Lecoq in Paris after completion of her BFA at York University in Toronto. Nicole has toured and worked across Canada, throughout Europe and all around Australia delighting circus and theatre audiences alike with her physical and no-holds-barred humour. She is one-third of GLB, Berlin’s longest-running English-language long-form improv team, A company member of Theatrefragile, who performs mask theatre in public spaces and when not on tour she can be seen onstage hosting Zirkus Mond. As a writer, she is a member of the Playwrights Guild of Canada and in 2019 she published a book of 33 monologues for women, titled 33 X Nikki with successful launches in Berlin and Toronto. Fostering and growing the artistic community is incredibly important to Nicole. As an instructor, she has brought her talents to teaching the techniques of theatre such as Improvisation, Mask, Clown, Acting and Devised Theatre. Selected credits include: Lübeck Theater, Schauspiel Hannover, Catalyst Institute of Creative Arts and Technology, Schauspiel Köln and Comedy Cafe Berlin
SABINE RIECK
Sabine Rieck is an international circus artist who has performed and continues to perform in renowned productions around the world. She is a founding company member of GOSH, Poignee des femmes, the Artistokraten and a member of the french based company Archaos, the Spanish company Los Galindos and most recently the german theater company Circus Sarrasani. Since 2002, as a director, she has worked on productions throughout Spain, Germany, Austria and Cambodia. As an instructor, she has lent her talents to a variety of schools and institutions and as a coach for the creation of various clown and circus acts. On stage she can be seen performing with the Theater Strahl and the family theater coq au vin. She is currently directing new productions with the GOP Varieté and her own latest original productions tittled Eine und noch Eine and Ü 53.
(Selected Credits: Teatro Zinzanni (USA), Ruhrfestspiele Recklinghausen, Copenhagen International Theatre Festival, Stockholm Water Festival, Tollwood Festival München, Théâtre Vidy Lausanne, Teatro Liceo Salamanca, Théâtre Chai du Terrai Montpellier, Hebbel-Theater Berlin, Kampnagel Hamburg, Theater Strahl in Berlin)
SABINE RIECK
Sabine Rieck is an international circus artist who has performed and continues to perform in renowned productions around the world. She is a founding company member of GOSH, Poignee des femmes, the Artistokraten and a member of the french based company Archaos, the Spanish company Los Galindos and most recently the german theater company Circus Sarrasani. Since 2002, as a director, she has worked on productions throughout Spain, Germany, Austria and Cambodia. As an instructor, she has lent her talents to a variety of schools and institutions and as a coach for the creation of various clown and circus acts. On stage she can be seen performing with the Theater Strahl and the family theater coq au vin. She is currently directing new productions with the GOP Varieté and her own latest original productions tittled Eine und noch Eine and Ü 53.
(Selected Credits: Teatro Zinzanni (USA), Ruhrfestspiele Recklinghausen, Copenhagen International Theatre Festival, Stockholm Water Festival, Tollwood Festival München, Théâtre Vidy Lausanne, Teatro Liceo Salamanca, Théâtre Chai du Terrai Montpellier, Hebbel-Theater Berlin, Kampnagel Hamburg, Theater Strahl in Berlin)