Lola Land - A Neo Revue by & with Daria Penzina and Maurice Stocsek

Urban Culture |November 15, 2024

"Our show will be wild and spicy."

"Lola Land" is a neo revue conceived and realized by Daria Penzina and Maurice Stocsek alias Lola Lash. The show is a dazzling safe space for creativity, glamor and diversity. With the neo revue "Lola Land", dancer and choreographer Daria and drag artist Maurice have created a completely new stage experience in Düsseldorf that pushes artistic boundaries. Inspired by queer subculture, they combine drag, burlesque, pole dancing, frame-up dancing and acrobatics to create an unconventional show. After successful performances, they will be celebrating their farewell show at the Capitol in mid-November before taking off at the Apollo Varieté from 2025. We spoke to them about their artistic vision, the fascination of drag and their favorite safe spaces in the city.

The artists of "Lola Land" together on stage. — The ensemble of the "Lola Land" revue from 2023 *(Photo: Daniel Mundstock)*

What makes your show concept "Lola Land" unique in Germany and how did the idea for it come about?
Maurice: There are many great shows in Düsseldorf, but we were missing something that matched our aesthetic and vision. "Lola Land" comes from the subculture, from a safe space. We wanted to combine artistic disciplines such as burlesque, striptease, pole dancing and acrobatics, all of which can only be seen occasionally, into a unique show - without rules and taboos. We celebrate femininity in all its forms and facets. We bring people onto the stage who are not usually seen by the general public. With "Lola Land", we wanted to create a queer show in which the focus is not on sexuality, but on artistic ability. And to create an emotional experience - a safe place for everyone to develop freely.

Daria sits at the edge of the stage, a red velvet curtain can be seen in the background. — Daria Penzina, who teaches at the Pole Land studio.

Daria, you are the manager, dancer and choreographer and Maurice, you lead the show as Lola Lash. How did you two find each other?
Daria: We met at Pole Land Düsseldorf - a pole studio in Oberbilk where we also teach dance and acrobatics several times a week. Maurice gave a course for Aids Hilfe, where I supported him. We became friends, worked together and learned to appreciate each other very much. We share the same vision and aesthetics. Maurice is a dancer, performer and drag and I represent the dance style Frame-up, which I am currently the only one to offer and teach in Düsseldorf. Frame-up is a quite young, sexy high-heel dance style that comes from my home country Russia and has a small but growing community in Europe.

You also bring international artists to the Düsseldorf stage. How do you choose the guest performers for your shows?
Maurice: Many of them are friends or colleagues we have met at other shows. We look at a lot of things on social media and write to artists we like. In the meantime, word of our show has gotten around in the scene and people are approaching us. That makes us very happy, but it also shows how few opportunities there are for artists to perform. Just because you're not seen doesn't mean you're not just as good as someone who's on stage every night.

You see two artists in a hoop (hoop double) high above the ground in blue light. — Charlotte Fischer and Marlene Ziechmann as the duo "Marly" during their aerial hoop performance.

What can we expect this weekend at "Lola Land" in the Capitol?
Maurice: At our show in the Capitol, Düsseldorf can expect a line-up that this city has never seen before. An overload of emotions. We're showing "boylesque", i.e. male burlesque art that is very rarely seen. There will be spectacular acrobatics in the aerial hoop (see photo) by Charlotte Fischer and Marlene Ziechmann. Charlotte is from Düsseldorf and works for Roncalli. The two acrobats have just returned from Brazil. They will also be joined by burlesque queen Anya Pavlova, Freifrau von Kö and our dance group The Lolettes. And, of course, I'll be the charming and very direct host of the program as Lola Lash. It will be a great show, but at the same time a farewell to the Capitol, where it all began. Hold on tight, it's going to be very wild and spicy!

Maurice stands and Daria kneels in front of the entrance to the Apollo Theater on the Rhine.

You are starting the new year in a new location: the famous Apollo Varieté. What does this special venue mean to you?
Daria: We're bringing a breath of fresh air to the Apollo with our late night show. When we were asked if we wanted to perform there, it was like an accolade. It will be a new era of "Lola Land", very sexy and spectacular. The show is being created under our direction and the Apollo is supporting us with everything it has: Technology, stage, lighting and the insanely beautiful ambience. We're playing our first late night show there at the end of January. Tickets are already online.
Maurice: As a Düsseldorfer, I've known the Apollo Varieté since I was a child. As an artist with a passion for dance and acrobatics, it's a huge honor for me to be on stage there. It's a match! Because the Apollo Varieté and we from "Lola Land" share a passion for artistry, variety and shows, for inspiring people and putting a smile on their faces.

Maurice, as a drag artist you transform yourself into the luxury clown Lola Lash. How would you describe Lola?
Maurice: Lola is a sidekick of mine, a part of my character that I can live out as Lola - like fashion, for example. I love the process of dressing up: the clothes, the hair, the make-up. Lola is a slick person, untouchable and unassailable, with a lot of humor and heart, very crazy - and pretty evil. But you shouldn't take drag personally, it's a caricature. It satirizes social values to an exaggerated degree. Lola is a part of me, but she only exists on stage and after two hours she is made up. She is not real. In this way, we drag artists show that behind all this façade and the clothes there is a human being at the end of the day, a grown-up child who doesn't need much at all. Drag is also a critique of our very consumer-driven world.

Maurice in his role as drag character Lola Lash. — Maurice's alter ego & stage character Lola Lash. *(Photo: Margarita Kalmikova)*

Is there a lively drag community in Düsseldorf?
Maurice: Travesty artists such as Käthe Köstlich, Sergio Abajur and Kim Davis have paved the way for drag in Düsseldorf. When I started drag, there wasn't much of it in Düsseldorf. In the meantime, "Dressed As a Girl" is seen differently in the media, for example through the successful TV show "RuPaul's Drag Race". People appreciate it and know how much work goes into it. That it's more than just a dress, a wig and lipstick. Drag is a respected art form and is often seen at events. Drag is in the theater, at birthdays, at parties, in the library and in schools. There is now a young drag generation here. A lot has happened in the last few years.

What are your personal favorite places in Düsseldorf? Where do you like to live it up?
Daria: We mainly live it up on stage. But you can meet me for a drink, mainly in bars like Alchemist, where the crowd is very cool. But I also like going to the Square Bar, the Ellington Bar, the Salon des Amateurs or the Velvet. And, of course, we're always guests at Bar Lola.
Maurice: In my private life, I'm a very withdrawn person and often out in nature: on the Rhine, in Südpark with my dog or at Unterbacher See. For shopping, I love Lorettostraße with great stores like Roc- your-Body-Dessous and Stewardress. For art, I recommend the KIT or the NRW Forum, where you can have a wonderful drink at Pong. My absolute insider tip in Düsseldorf for switching off for half an hour in the middle of the city is the Rosengarten in Carlstadt.

Maurice & Daria embrace, still between the rows of red velvet chairs.

Which safe spaces for the queer community can you recommend in Düsseldorf?
Maurice: The Pink Palace in the Theatermuseum, where queer art is always on display. Düsseldorf's legendary gay bar Aroma was recently reopened and is well worth a visit. In addition to the gay bars Bar Lola and Studio 1, I can also recommend the Kunstakademie parties and happenings. Düsseldorf is queer-friendly. We have the queer center and PULS, the gay and lesbian youth center that I helped set up.

Maurice, you were born in Düsseldorf. Daria, you moved here from Russia in 2005. What does Düsseldorf mean to you - artistically and personally?
Maurice: Düsseldorf is a culturally valuable city and offers a lot in a very small space, such as the Tanzhaus NRW with its wide range of activities or great cultural festivals like the Düsseldorf Festival or the Asphalt Festival. There is a large voguing community here and you can take ballet lessons with members of the Oper am Rhein ensemble for ten euros. You can come into contact with lots of people in Düsseldorf, which is why I love the city.
Daria: Düsseldorf is my artistic home and I love living here. I am very grateful to the city for all the people I have met. For Pole Land as my second home and of course for Maurice. Düsseldorf has given me all of that. And now I'm giving something back with "Lola Land".