BERLINERS

Presented by: Nick and Tom

March 12 - 16

The Studio

Origin: NSW • SA Premiere

MELBOURNE FRINGE TOURING AWARD WINNER

SYDNEY FRINGE BEST IN THEATRE NOMINEE

It’s 1987. The Cold War rages, Reagan rules and the Berlin Wall cuts through the heart of Germany—and the middle of Nick and Tom’s apartment.

Join Sydney’s “favourite absurdist comedy duo” in this alternate-history comedy about a struggling West German artist and an East German anchorman, forbidden to talk but fated to meet through a tiny crack in the wall that separates their countries (and living room).

As they grow closer, and the end of the Soviet Union grows nearer, will these star-crossed comrades build a relationship that lasts—or will they need the Wall to keep it standing?

★★★★½ "Beautiful script…everything lands softly, gently" Sydney Theatre Reviews

"Their chemistry on stage is palpable" Sydney Scoop

The Studio at Holden Street Theatres

Holden Street Theatres, 32-34 Holden Street, Hindmarsh, Kaurna Country

Step-free mobility aid access through the main entrance with an accessible bathroom.

Detailed venue info and space accessibility

 

Duration: 80 min

Tue 12 Mar: 7:30pm

Wed 13 Mar - Fri 15 Mar: 8:55pm

Sat 16 Mar: 7:30pm

Age Suitability: M

Depicts Violence : Occasional, Mild

Coarse Language : Occasional, Mild

Other Warnings: Loud Noises

Full price: $25.00 to $32.00

Concession: $28.00

BankSA Cardholder: $24.00

Midweek Treat: $28.00

Schools: $20.00

Honey Pot Comp: $0.00

Companion Card: $0.00

Meet the Team

  • Nick and Tom

    PLAYWRIGHTS & PERFORMERS

    Nick Harriott (he/him) and Tom Waddell (he/him) are an Eora/Sydney-based comedy duo known as Nick and Tom. Together they have toured original, scripted work around Australia, including their show ‘Real Estate Agents’ which culminated in a sold-out season at the 2023 Sydney Comedy Festival. Their most recent production ‘Berliners’ premiered at Flight Path Theatre as part of the 2023 Sydney Fringe Festival, where it was nominated for Best in Theatre and won the Melbourne Fringe Tour Ready Award. Nick and Tom have a regular monthly show at The Vanguard in Newtown and are frequent collaborators of Improv Theatre Sydney.

    https://www.instagram.com/realnickandtom/

  • Jess Ramsey

    DIRECTOR

    Jess Ramsey (they/she) is a multi-disciplinary artist working in directing, writing, dramaturgy, and performing. Through a neurodivergent and queer lens, the essence of Jess’ artistic practice is creating new works, blending artistic form, and blurring the lines between reality and fantasy. Jess is a graduate from the MFA Directing course at NIDA. For her graduating production, Jess wrote and directed ‘The Decay of Lying’. Their most recent credits include assistant directing ‘Forgetting Tim Minchin’ (Belvoir's 25a Season) and director/dramaturg for new musical ‘Death To A Butterfly’ (Antipodes Theatre Company's Winterlab).

  • Emma Wiltshire

    PRODUCER

    Emma Wiltshire (she/her) is an award-winning independent producer based in Eora/Sydney and Kaurna/Adelaide. She holds a Bachelor of Commerce (Liberal Studies) from the University of Sydney, with majors in Finance and Chinese Studies. Emma specialises in digital marketing and audience engagement, and has successfully delivered sponsorships and partnerships with local organisations to support independent theatre. She was recently awarded the Adelaide Fringe Fund Producers Grant 2024, and her most recent production ‘Berliners’ received the Best in Theatre nomination and Melbourne Fringe Tour Ready Award Winner as part of the Sydney Fringe Festival 2023. Emma is producing three shows at the upcoming Adelaide Fringe 2024, including ‘Daddy Algorithm’, ‘Massage Therapy’, and ‘Berliners’.

  • Emma Van Veen

    Emma Van Veen (they/she) is a multi-disciplinary artist and up-and-comer in the Sydney theatre scene. Holding a bachelor of Communications (Theatre/Media) from Charles Sturt University in Bathurst, Emma graduated with distinction in 2019. They currently work as a technician for a variety of different venues and companies around Sydney, with notable collaborations including Monkey Baa Theatre Company, Flightpath Theatre, The Seymour Centre, Griffin Theatre Company, ATYP, and PaperJam Productions, among others.

REVIEWS

Previous Praise for BERLINERS


“A must-see for comedy enthusiasts” - Sydney Scoop

“Offbeat charming comedy” - Sydney Theatre Reviews

“Highly recommended” - Sydney Arts Guide

MORE INFO…

Nick (Nick Harriott) lives in West Germany. He loves bold modern art, loud rock and roll, and the spills and thrills of unregulated capitalism. Tom (Tom Waddell) lives in East Germany. He loves borscht, books, and silence. It’s a shame then that they are next-door neighbours in adjoining apartments—divided cleanly down the middle by the Berlin Wall.

This alternate-history comedy charts the rise of a new friendship, set against the fall of the Berlin Wall in 1989. Witness a new political epic that will redefine the genre, featuring old man make-up, Soviet dubstep and a life-size replica of the Berlin Wall. This is a must-see performance for comedy-lovers and history-buffs alike, filled with thought-provoking questions like “wait, did that actually happen?” and thought-provoking answers like, “no.”

Berliners is the latest play by writer-performers Nick Harriott and Tom Waddell. Nick and Tom’s most recent tour of Australia culminated in a sold-out run at the Sydney Comedy Festival, they were grand finalists in the 2023 Improv Comedy Cagefight, and they are currently in negotiation with Netflix to get their accounts reactivated.

Jess Ramsey (Director)

"At its core, Berliners is about two people in love who can't be together - in this case due to a huge impenetrable wall. It's a universal love story with a political comedy edge, and directing it as a love story allows for both comedy and heartache to shine through. You’ll laugh, you’ll cry, you’ll fall in love right alongside Nick and Tom."