Ton und Kirschen is a traveling theatre company that was founded in the spring of 1992 and has been at home in Werder (Havel) ever since. Rehearsals take place at a property in the Glindow district. This is where the sets are built and the props, costumes, masks and puppets are made. From here, Ton und Kirschen travels all over the state of Brandenburg with its productions. They set up their stage and seating in historical venues, in the middle of villages and even in fields. Each year they make guest appearances in Potsdam and Berlin and other German cities. Ton und Kirschen has often been invited to theatre festivals abroad. They have played in various European countries (Ireland, Poland, the Czech Republic, Russia, Belgium, Italy, Switzerland and regularly in France) and on several continents (Asia, North Africa and several times in South America).
There are currently nine members of the theatre’s ensemble, who come from Australia, Germany, England, Wales, France and Colombia. Under the artistic direction of David Johnston and Margarete Biereye, who both also have twenty years of theatre experience with Footsbarn Travelling Theatre, 22 productions were created.
Ton und Kirschen received the theatre prize from The Academy of Arts, Berlin en 1998; In August 1997, Bouchon d’Or in Cognac, and in May 1998 the prize of the International Theatre Festival Kontakt in Torun, Poland.
ARTISTIC DIRECTORS Margarete Biereye and David Johnston
ENSEMBLE Julie Biereye, Margarete Biereye, David Garlick, Régis Gergouin, David Johnston, Rob Wyn Jones, Nelson Leon, Zina Méziat, Dominique Prié, Daisy Watkiss
PRODUCTION MANAGER Catherine Launay
MARGARETE BIEREYE
Born in 1945 in Burg/Fehmarn (Germany)
Folkwang-Hochschule Essen (1967-70)
Stadttheater Hildesheim (1970-71)
École Internationale de Théâtre Jacques Lecoq (1971-73)
Director and actor with the Footsbarn Traveling Theatre (1973-1992)
Founded Ton und Kirschen Theater in 1992
FRANCESCO BIFANO
Born in 1974 (Italy)
1995-98 Theatre School Lab9 Florence
1998-99 Fede Speranza Carità – Massimo Castri
1999-2008 work with various theatre companies
2008-2020 Slava’s Snow Show – Slava Polunin
Since 2020 actor with Ton und Kirschen Theater
RÉGIS GERGOUIN
Born in 1971 in Nantes (France)
1989 training as a sign painter
1993 – 1998 work with various theatre companies in Nancy (France)
Since 1999 technician at Ton und Kirschen Theater
DAVID JOHNSTON
Born in 1947 in London (England)
Technician at the Sadler’s Wells Opera and other London theatres.
Actor with the National Youth Theatre. Singer in a rock band.
Director and actor with the Footsbarn Travelling Theatre (1972-1992)
Founded Ton und Kirschen Theater in 1992
ROB WYN JONES
Born in 1965 in Pontypool (Wales)
Training at the École Internationale de Théâtre Jacques Lecoq and Firenza Guidi of ELAN, Wales Productions with ELAN (GB/I); AGORA (B) and the Markus Zohner Theater Company (CH); Staatstheater Stuttgart.
Intensive clown work in Baveria and now in Berlin/Brandenburg. Performances in 23 countries and in 7 languages.
Since 2011 actor with Ton und Kirschen Theater.
Born in 1970 in Pereira (Colombia)
Founder of the company Alcaravan Teatro; mask and puppet builder for various street theatre companies.
1994 Teatro Taller de Colombia, Bogota.
Since 1997 actor, puppeteer and technician at Ton und Kirschen Theater.
Together with Daisy Watkiss, Nelson regularly develops and holds workshops on theatre and puppet/object manipulation for professionals, amateurs, children and adults.
ZINA-LUZIA MÉZIAT
Born in 2001 in Bordeaux (France).
Graduation in June 2019 in Paris. First theatre experience with the Footsbarn Traveling Theatre and Ton und Kirschen Theater. In 2010 she played a lead role in the play Sun by the Collectif MXM, directed by Cyril Teste, and appeared with that production at the 2011 Festival d’Avignon.
DAISY WATKISS
Raised at Footsbarn Travelling Theatre since 1993 Set Designer and Puppeteer at the Clay and Cherries Theatre. Daisy regularly develops and leads workshops with Nelson Leon on theatre and puppet/object manipulation for professionals, amateurs, children and adults.
JOSEPHINE AUFFRAY
Born in 1995 in France, she started classical and contemporary dance at the Conservatoire de Nantes (2010-2014). She then studied contemporary dance and choreography at the Laban School in London (2015-2018), and at the Folkwang University of the Arts in Essen (2017). Since 2018, she lives as a freelance dancer/performer in Berlin and is involved in numerous interdisciplinary projects. She is currently working at the Ton und Kirschen.
JULIE BIEREYE
Born in 1978 in Launceston (UK) Since birth I have accompanied my parents on tour with Footsbarn Travelling Theatre. At the age of 15 I started my own career as an actress/musician. I worked for several years at Ton und Kirschen Theater, Petit Théâtre de Pain, Footsbarn Travelling Theatre and Teatro del Silencio.
DAVID GARLICK
Born in 1957 in Hobart, Tasmania (Australia). He was an Australian Football Professional before changing his career to become an actor. He has worked for many years in Film, TV and Theatre in Australia and he now makes a very welcome return to Ton und Kirschen for the production of Shakespeare's «The Tempest».
DOMINIQUE PRIÉ
Born in 1958 in Rennes (France).
Worked for 15 years with the Fiat Lux slapstick theatre company in «Nouvelles Folies» (Award Fringe Festival Edinburgh 2002) and «Strike». More recently 4 years with Footsbarn Theatre: «Cuckoos N'est» and «The Incomplete Works»; Shakespeare cabaret; Molière's «Le Mariage forcé». Since 5 years, solo : «Y’a comme un défaut» sketches by Fernand Raynaud.
CATHERINE LAUNAY
Born in 1973 in Châtellerault (France)
She has lived and worked in Berlin since 1999. She is a cultural manager and production manager in the areas of performance, theatre, musical theatre, dance and sound art in Berlin and France. Since 2011, she has worked as a tour manager for Ton und Kirschen Theater.
www.catherinelaunay.com