Le Pustra's Kabarett der Namenlosen (or Cabaret of the Nameless) is a contemporary reimagining of Weimar era Cabaret Culture in Berlin and is one of Le Pustra's most beloved artistic projects. On the 24th of September 2011 the trial show made its stage debut at Die Freche Muse, at the Old Cholmeley Boys Club in Dalston, London. The original cabaret, also entitled Kabarett der Namenlosen was a notorious but popular late-night dive in Weimar-era Berlin from 1926 till 1932 created by Erich Lowinsky - also known by his stage name "Elow". The cabaret was originally performed on Monday evenings at the Monbijou Cabaret (formally known as Die Weiße Maus) located at Jägerstraße 18 in Mitte. In 2016 the project was restaged and developed at the historic Ballhaus Berlin with Else Edelstahl (Bohème Sauvage) as co-producer.
- In October 2017, Le Pustra and the cast of Kabarett der Namenlosen performed "Das lila Lied" for the BBC Four series Tunes for Tyrants: Music and Power with Suzy Klein.
- In 2018, Le Pustra and co-producer Else Edelstahl appeared on Anthony Bourdain's Parts Unknown (Season 11 Episode 6).
- Between 2016 and 2019 American Artist, Ella Guru created three large oil paintings inspired by the show.
- In 2018, Irish artist Alana Richards created a series of paintings and an art exhibition based on the show's characters entitled: Morphium: Hallucinations of a Kabarett.
- In 2022, Kabarett der Namenlosen was featured in Babylon Berlin Season 4 with Le Pustra reprising his role as Edwina Morell. The scene depicts a new interpretation of Erich Lowinsky's notorious and original concept.
- On the 8th & 9th of December 2023 the show was revived and completely restaged at Heimathafen Neukölln with several new scenes added.
BABYLON BERLIN & MOKA EFTI ORCHESTRA
In 2020 Le Pustra made his TV debut as Edwina Morell, a sinister cross-dressing souteneur in the award-winning German crime drama Babylon Berlin (Season 3).
Notes:
- In Season 4, Le Pustra reprised his role as Morell; but this time as the diabolical host of the Kabarett der Namenlosen, set in the Moka Efti nightclub. The scene is reminiscent of Elow's original concept. The new season premiered on the 8th of October 2022 on Sky Deutschland.
- In 2023, Le Pustra joined the big band Moka Efti Orchestra for a series of concerts in Germany, Poland and Denmark as the lead vocalist.
- Le Pustra was a featured soloist in the premiere of Babylon Berlin in Concert on the 11th, 12th & 13th of September 2023 at the famous Theater des Westens in Berlin. Le Pustra performed the song Heut' Nacht in Peru originally performed by Tim Fischer. The line-up included Max Raabe, Natalia Mateo, Sabin Tambrea and Meret Becker. Music production by Johnny Klimek and conducted by Kristjan Järvi and the Baltic Sea Philharmonic. The concert was screened as a television special on Germany's Das Erste on the 1st of October 2023.
- Le Pustra's Morell character is mentioned in the Bloomsbury book "Babylon Berlin, German Visual Spectacle, and Global Media Culture by Jill Suzanne Smith (March 2024).
- Le Pustra's Morell character is mentioned in The Afterlives of Weimar Berlin: Twenty-First-Century Literature, Media, and Visual Culture by Jill Suzanne Smith. (December 2024)
- In 2024, Le Pustra joined the "Der Nasse Fisch" show with the band and actor Benno Fürmann. The show will go on tour in 2025 and 13 new dates in Germany have been announced.
AUTHOR & LECTURES
Le Pustra co-authored a chapter with Dr. Anna-Sophie Jürgens for the book Circus and the Avant-Gardes: History, Imaginary, Innovation published by Routledge. The chapter, entitled Glam Clowning: From Dada to Gaga – A Conversation with Le Pustra explores the origin and reinterpretation of the Dada inspired vinyl suit made famous by German countertenor and New Wave artist, Klaus Nomi. Additionally, the chapter also discusses Le Pustra’s numerous other artistic projects
- Le Pustra has been a guest speaker for various lectures, podcasts and online classes including UCLA, The National Australian University, CIEE (Berlin), The Goethe-Institute and Humboldt University of Berlin.
- Between 2022 and 2023 a series of online illustrated talks were created for Morbid Anatomy with provocative titles such as Anita Berber: Tanz der Schönen und Verdammten and Opium: Darkling's Muse. Le Pustra also performed for the Morbid Anatomy charity gala "Les Fleurs du Mal" held on the 5th of May 2024 in New York, USA.
- Podcasts interviews include "Bureau of Lost Culture" on Soho Radio and "Goldstaub" (Episode 11).
- 2024 - Le Pustra joined the panel for "Voluptuous Life: A Tribute to Mel Gordon" hosted by City Lights Books.