Josephine Baker EN

A dance revue that stirs up more than just the dust

A play for a unique actress, dancer and singer, one endangered Cheetah and a talkative one-person orchestra.

Josephine is a flamboyant dancer, singer and actress. Josephine is a war heroine and a campaigner for freedom and equality. Josephine never gives up. Josephine is a whirlwind; she makes the dust fly. Josephine knows that she must use her voice and make herself heard, not least for those who can’t. But who will accept Josephine just as she is? Where is her home?

You don’t have to stay in places that don’t make you feel good. You don’t have to put up with things you disagree with. You have a voice, so use it!

Josephine Baker (1906 - 1975) was not only a flamboyant dancer, singer and actress, but also a war heroine and a campaigner for freedom and equal rights. She was born into a poor black family, and even though the circumstances weren’t always in her favour, she never gave up. She was always headstrong in pursuing her own goals and throughout her life she never stopped pushing for an end to segregation and fighting fervently for the rights of ordinary African Americans. Eighteen-year-old Josephine won unprecedented acclaim as a dancer on Broadway. However, she felt that the audience saw her simply as an “energetic black dancer” and wouldn’t have wanted to shake hands with her. So she left for Europe, where her career really took off in Paris. The French didn’t care about the colour of her skin; they fell in love with her as a performer, and Josephine inspired and influenced many women there. Her own genuine love for France was soon proven when, during the Second World War, she was active as a spy against the German fascist occupation. In recognition of her role in the resistance, she later became one of only a handful of women appointed to the highest French order of merit, the Légion d’Honneur.

Josephine spoke English, French, German, Italian, Spanish and Portuguese. She raised twelve adopted children of various races and religions. She also sang at the Lucerna music hall in Prague.

This production is dedicated to Dr Dana Drábová (1961 – 2025). “Sometimes, you have to step out of your comfort zone and say what you think of things. If you say nothing, you contribute to the world’s wrongs.”

Minor Theatre is grateful to Pale Fire Capital for their generous support of the Josephine Baker project. We are delighted to have established this partnership grounded in our shared belief in courage, determination and humanity – values that enable us to aim high, no matter what stands in our way.

Suitable for ages 12 and up
Duration 65 minutes without an interval
Première 13 November 2025 on the Small Stage