Porgy and BessNouvelle production

Porgy and Bess finally returns to Berlin! Barrie Kosky offers a powerful new perspective on this timeless masterpiece about the life of a Black community. With his exacting direction, he turns a spotlight on the beauty and depth of human existence: at once raw, moving, and inspiring.

South Carolina, around 1870: In the dilapidated Catfish Row on Charleston’s waterfront, people endure wretched conditions, but they still draw hope from their sense of community, found in their work, religion, music, or even just a game of craps. When the brutal Crown loses a game and kills the winner, his woman Bess must run and hide, finally finding refuge with a disabled beggar named Porgy. The two fall in love, but their happiness is short-lived: before long, the shady drug dealer Sportin’ Life tempts the addicted Bess with promises of a better life in New York…

Although many regard Porgy and Bess as simply a musical, George Gershwin himself called it a ‘folk opera’. With his unique blend of classical music, spirituals, blues, and jazz, Gershwin created enduring hits such as ‘Summertime’ and ‘I Got Plenty o’ Nuttin’’. The piece’s power comes not from the story of the mismatched couple alone. Instead, it is the many supporting characters who help us experience the full range of human behaviour – sometimes comically, sometimes tragically. Porgy and Bess maintains its impact even now: rarely has life’s rich diversity been captured so vividly.