On expedition with two aliens in Potsdam

A creative photo story inspired by the pop-up Was geht, Erdling? by Caroline Beach and Saida Makhmudzade

Imagine you had the opportunity to fly to another planet and find out what life is like there. Are there living creatures? How do they move? What peculiarities, special features or absurdities characterise them? How do they interact with their environment? And what does all of this possibly reveal about our own life on Earth?

This is exactly the experiment attempted by the two aliens Ronny and Margret, only in reverse: they land on planet Earth and examine it with curiosity.

Scenographer and photographer Amelie Sabbagh welcomed and accompanied both of them on their expedition to earth – to Potsdam to be precise.

You can follow our duo’s first steps on unfamiliar terrain in the photo story.

From Amelie Sabbagh | 28 May 2025

About the piece

Was geht, Erdling? (translated as What’s up, earthling?) is an interactive pop-up piece for children age 6 and up – funny, spontaneous and very curious about humanity. Choreographers and perfomers Caroline Beach and Saida Makhmudzade combine danced elements of street style with direct communication and playful interaction with the audience.

Together with their young audience, they set out on a moving expedition to the peculiarities of life on Earth: What is good about our planet – and what maybe less so?

By asking targeted questions, they spotlight the children’s ideas and weave their answers into an improvised stand-up rap. The result is a poetic and impressive kaleidoscope of young perspectives on our world.

Was geht, Erdling? leaves its mark even after the show: it not only causes laughter, but above all encourages children and adults alike to think about our world.

Choreography and Performance: Caroline Beach, Saida Makhmudzade

Set and Costumes: Amelie Sabbagh, Josef Panda

Production Management: Kati Thiel