In 2013, Sven Ratzke was struck by inspiration. Having spent the years prior traversing the world’s stages performing the classic songs of Bretch and Weill and making himself over in drag to depict the tale of Hedwig and the Angry Inch, Ratzke was suddenly lured to take a different path.
He, like many creatives before him, was struck by the enigmatic force of David Bowie. Having always admired the work of Bowie, Ratzke decided his next project would be to tell the story of one of the world’s most iconoclastic musicians and performers.
“Bowie was always in my life, but suddenly it all made sense: he thinks like me, he’s inspired by all these puzzle pieces like me,” says Ratzke. “I wanted to get to know him and the riddle, the mask – especially in the ‘70s, I found him terribly interesting. He was an enigma; what is true? What is fantasy?
“[I admire] that he constantly evolved, that he took risks. He never stood still. That’s an enormous inspiration. I think that’s why he’s so loved. In the end that’s so much more valuable and that will also go into history. Dare to chance, dare to be different – that’s why Bowie is such a cultural influencer.”
The result, Starman,is a far cry from a simple tribute show – which is something Ratzke aimed to steer clear of. Instead, he reimagines Bowie’s career-defining tracks, melding them with songs of his own against a strong underlying storyline. Taking the audience from London to New York, Los Angeles and Berlin, the performance tells a tale of Bowie’s own journey through life and stardom.
“The show is like a trip, I take the audience on a journey,” says Ratzke. “Lots of people think it’s all made up, but the fantasy is based on facts of Bowie’s encounters and beings. It’s like a dream. We meet Andy Warhol as a little white rabbit that takes us into the underground in New York City, we meet Elisabeth Taylor and her wax figure cabinet in LA, [then] we end up in a drag bar in Berlin.
“I mix the universe of Bowie with mine. The show is, in the end, a very entertaining show with music that you might know, but not in these versions. It’s like a woman said lately: ‘I came for Bowie and left with Sven.’”
Starman has been Ratzke’s baby for over half a decade now, having taken two years to perfect in its writing stages before premiering in 2015. Despite toting the show around the world, it’s yet to grow stale.
Ratzke attributes the show’s longevity to a number of factors, including the rich storyline that carries the performance and the elements of himself he has injected into the show. While Ratzke spends much of the year – 48 weeks to be precise – touring, he never milks a particular show, no matter its success, opting to alternate between different projects instead.
“I would never perform Starman like a musical, seven shows a week. Then the soul disappears,” he says.
To Ratzke, performing is a necessity akin to living and breathing and allows him to take on a different persona than that of his own comparatively quiet and subdued nature. His passion for his craft grew from performing atop his family dinner table at five years old and has continued to flourish from there. He describes the force of being onstage as “theatrical acid” – a force which is equally powerful to witness and one shared by his muse.
“When he was still alive he gave permission for the show. That was the ultimate blessing for this show,” says Ratzke. “A lot of his New York friends and collaborators saw the show in New York and said ‘He would’ve loved it ‘cause you are wicked, you have lots of humour and it’s different and daring, and that was Bowie.’ He never repeated himself and was looking for new stuff constantly. I know he’s watching us from up there every night when we are on stage.”
