Malign Junction (Goodbye Berlin)

Malign Junction (Goodbye Berlin)

Alex Baczyński-Jenkins

September 13-14, 2025

MDT, Stockholm

presented as part of September Sessions

Alex Baczyński-Jenkins, Malign Junction (Goodbye Berlin), photo: Agustin Farias

The dusky Sunday evening on Skeppsholmen, overlooking the water from the big windows at MDT and the lit windows of the palatial Östermalm homes in the distance, proved to be a highly evocative setting to watch “Goodbye Berlin,” amplifying the poetics of Alex Baczyński-Jenkins’ “Malign Junction (Goodbye, Berlin).” A few of us went to see it together, and we agreed that 90 minutes is a challenge, and this work has plenty of merits to substantiate a more compact run. The stage design is very smart and sensible, with minimal framing establishing the narrative of a “warm” safe space in inner private rooms, safeguarding a community in protection from the “cold” world outside, ridden by fascist winds coming in.

It’s sympathetic, with choreography that is medium-intense and narrative-driven, and at times so clear that it reads like a novel. The choreography narrates scenes that are easily extracted as you watch. The community, played by the cast of performers, literally flexes its muscles early on—almost right off the bat—manifesting the capacity to bring resistance to threats from the outside. But instead of screaming on barricades, the piece moves toward resistance exercised through practicing one’s rituals, camaraderie, and intimacy. Over the course of a night “inside,” the choreography beautifully conveys how drinks are served and courtship takes place, leading ultimately, at one point, to the wee hours when it’s endearingly time for morning tea. The mood is never entirely melancholic nor entirely fierce, but the piece nevertheless powerfully presses on the idea that “the show must and will go on.” None of this is actually expressed overtly or literally with gimmicks and props; the point is that the choreography has no interest in being too complex or abstract. Since an explicit reference is Christopher Isherwood’s 1939 novel “Goodbye Berlin”, you also attempt to read the unfolding action linearly as such. And it works.

Alex Baczyński-Jenkins, Malign Junction (Goodbye Berlin), presented at MDT, Stockholm, photo: C-print

In 2025, it’s refreshing to see intensity being toned down—a demure rather than aggressive mood—and flamenco and ballroom taking place on stage, rather than the techno rave that some aspects of this framing might have led you to expect. The music department continuously and deliberately prompts an ethereal "sonic halo" around your experience that plays on your emotional strings. What’s interesting will be to see, a few days from now, if and how long-lasting the impact of this work truly is. It's hard to tell, but we'll know soon.

Ashik Zaman

Choreography: Alex Baczyński-Jenkins

Performers: Aaron Ratajczyk, Elvan Tekin, Samuel F. Pereira, Taos Bertrand, Felipe Faria

Live sound: Krzysztof Bagiński

Sound composition: Jasia Rabiej Lighting design: Jacqueline Sobiszewski

Scenography: Société Vide