Afrika! Afrika!

Afrika! Afrika! The magical circus adventure from the amazing continent

Since the world premiere of Afrika! Afrika! in Germany in December 2005, over 1.5 million visitors have experienced and enjoyed the sensual onslaught of this show. Now this rousing discovery of Africa promises to fascinate audiences in London with its radiant colours, enchanting visual beauty, irresistible rhythms and dazzling energy which pulsates from its tented Palaces located alongside The O2 Arena from January 2008.

"Afrika! Afrika! enthrals and electrifies the audience" Die Zeit

Afrika! Afrika! in London celebrates more than 100 artists, dancers, singers and musicians with unique and special talents. These performers were discovered across 17 different African nations including Cameroon, Senegal, Nigeria, Ghana, Algeria and Benin, speaking 23 different dialects from a multitude of different ethnic backgrounds.

"A pace that takes your breath away" Neue Zucher Zeitung

Afrika! Afrika! is a feast for the senses - captivating audiencea with its pace, energy and exuberant joy of life. The show provideds people with a glimpse of the other Africa: a continent displaying an immense richness of cultural traditions and a wealth of creativity. To generate this unique experience, the producer of the show, André Heller, and his staff roamed the African continent for almost two years. While travelling across Mali and Morocco, Egypt and South Africa, the heartland of the continent as well as the African Diaspora, they came across fascinating artists, dancers, artistes, musicians, singers, eccentrics and acrobats. The artists in Afrika! Afrika! perform their dangerous acts at incredible speeds that demonstrate both artistic and athletic prowess.

"When leaving the tent, you will be more cheerful, more carefree and maybe even happier than before going in. A visit to Afrika! Afrika! should be a medicine doctors are allowed to prescribe to their patients" Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung

Apart from its artistry, Afrika! Afrika! in London promises to captivate audience with its world of masks and fancy dresses as well as its music and dance performances. In addition, the Moorish-style palace tents, their beautifully painted interior walls as well as the floors which are covered in Berber carpets form part and parcel of the overall work of art incorporating this travelling theatre. When you visit Afrika! Afrika! you will get the opportunity to immerse themselves in a different culture for a couple of hours.

"The excitement never stops and the audience run the whole gamut of feelings and emotions on an open scale of joy and happiness. One minute, they open their mouths in sheer disbelief at the sight of the jaw-dropping, mind-boggling acts, while enjoying a feeling of perfect bliss only one minute later" Der Standard

The producer of Afrika! Afrika! in London, André Heller, says: "Our perception of Africa is mainly associated with disasters: War, famine, disease, corruption and political instability have been the key impressions conveyed by the media of this continent during the past decades, a continent three times the size of Europe with a population nearly twice as large as that of North America. It almost escapes our attention that despite this undeniable poverty and hardship, the most extraordinary and outstanding artistic achievements are made everywhere and all the time. Africa! Africa! constitutes an attempt to let our Western eyes and ears make a face-to-face encounter with certain aspects of this vast and wondrous continent. Its intention is not to address the participants in a hard-working ethnological congress, but rather to provide an entertaining, spectacular show for people from all walks of life and ages. Nonetheless, it is a show asking the audience to develop respect for and some deeper interest in a world that is strange and unfamiliar to most of us. I sincerely hope that the unrestrained joy of life and the momentum displayed by our highly talented African guests will also be a source of inspiration to you and that, once the show is over, you will leave our celestial palace tents with light hearts filled with joy."

Kofi A Annan, the Secretary-General of The United Nations says: "Afrika! Afrika! gives us a dazzling glimpse of a continent beyond the stereotypes of poverty and conflict, one in which a kaleidscope of artistic and cultural expression exists. Through music and dance, it pays tribute to the extraordinary cultural diversity of Africa and of our world. And it offers a stage where African artists and creators can express themselves fully and freely. In this way, Afrika! Afrika! inspires us to address with a new energy and imagination the challenges confronting the African continent and the world at large. It responds to the urgent need for dialogue between civilisations, demonstrating that such dialogue must be based on mutual understanding of peoples and cultures. And it brings home to European audiences the most human dimension of our shared heritage. As an African and as Secretary-General, I am proud to call myself a fan."