theatre
Sofia's directors and playwrights boom despite barebone budgets
In Bulgaria there are no cultural policy programmes and the crisis has consumed the ministry coffers. Filmmakers like Kamen Kalev, playwrights and other creative minds demand government transparency and methods to support their enterprising spirit. Part one of a five part 'EU crisis on the ground' city series
theatre, contemporary art, economical crisis, best of cafebabel.com, sofia, europe on the ground, art
David Lescot: 'Europe is nothing more than a piggy bank for artists'
The fearless French playwright, musician and director, 38, attacks the concept of Europe in his latest show 'L’Européenne', a wacky commentary on a continent that is still seeking to find itself
theatre, languages, european union, david lescot, multilingualism, brunch, paris
A cultural cacophony; international festival in Germany
'Beirut? Isn't that in the near East?' You frequently hear this question when telling European friends about the Festival of Young Artists in Bayreuth. Has anyone other than avowed Wagner admirers heard of this small town deep in the franconian province?
theatre, arts, palestine occupied territory, multiculturalism, classical music, israel, dance
Wajdi Mouawad and the theatre: ‘I don’t feel as if I belong to this world’
'Strangely, this does not make me unhappy’, he says the Quebec-Lebanese author, 40. At the 2009 Avignon Festival, he presented Cielos, adding another work to his trilogy on wars, exile and the state of the world.
theatre, arts, canada, lebanon, théâtre de l'odéon, interview, france
European theatre tips of the summer
Sam Mendes subtitled in Greek, Oscar Wilde in the open air in Regent's Park and the British Shakespeare company with Czech director Jiri Menzel in a castle in Prague - the best music, dance and theatre doses in July and August
theatre, arts, scotland, greece, william shakespeare, barcelona, croatia
London and Berlin reviews of Mark Ravenhill's 'Over There' play
Mark Ravenhill’s unconventional play about identical twins who are reunited after growing up in east and west Germany travelled from London to Berlin this spring. Our London reviewer calls it a timely commentary on the EU’s current political troubles. Our Berlin reviewer wonders if the British director reproaches the Germans with the repression of history. Cross-reviews from the Royal Court and Schaubühne theatres
theatre, reunification, identity, integration, best of cafebabel.com, berlin wall, berlin
Israeli-German theatre: the Holocaust, Nazi and Palestinian 'Third Generation'
Together with the dramaturges Amit Epstein and Irina Szodruck, Israeli director Yael Ronen ventured on an experiment with Third Generation. The theatre project has already been performed as a work in progress in Halle (Germany), Tel Aviv and Parma (Italy). A newly finished version hit the Berliner Schaubühne in early May. Review and interview
theatre, nationalism, palestine occupied territory, auschwitz, berlin, history, israel
Theatre: Balkans’ not dead, from Paris to Skopje via Pristina
The Theatre de Syldavie company presents a sparse play in which the muslims and christians of Macedonia attempt to understand one another: - 'Blood Wedding’, or the re-writing of a great Balkan classic
Austrian tabloids make global headlines with Joseph Fritzl, incest father
Shortly before the incest trial begins on 16 March, the Vienna theatre production of 'Pension F.' is bringing the oppressive atmosphere surrounding the Fritzl case onto the stage, meaning it is not only 'the man on the street’s paper' who is discussing what happened in that cellar
Theatre: Auschwitz meets the French Auvergne
For the International Short Film Festival 2009, director Fabrice Dubusset is working with amateur performers for the group's first Fassbinder play. The revival of the German director's 'Just a Slice of Bread' brings critical themes to the European arena
theatre, reiner werner fassbinder, holocaust memorial day, clermont-ferrand, holocaust, culture calendar, france
Venice, Edinburgh, Perpignan - a festival for everyone
Italy's 'La Mostra', Scotland's Fringe, photojournalism in the south of France - it’s not too late to recover your cultural health before the end of summer. Monthly guide to the best culture picks in Europe
theatre, venezia, london, cinema, biennale, mostra, portobello film festival
Stuttgart's Lokstoff: taking theatre to the city
No curtains, no stage. No cushioned rows of seats, no peep-show principle. The Stuttgart theatre group perform outside in urban spaces, right where the action is - be it in an airport, train station, underground station or buses driving their daily routes
Venice – alternative student Biennale
Breaking with the usual traditions of contemporary art found at the Venice Biennale, Italian and German art students have ‘improvised’ scenes using Venetian passers-by
Sofia – Paris elephant truckers
For years, the convoys of lorries on European motorways have been becoming longer and longer. Stefan Kaegi and Jörg Karrenbauer relate their European-style road movie in Paris with theatre production 'Cargo Sofia-Paris'
Free Theatre of Minsk: onstage resistance
The Belarusian independent theatre company uses black humour and underground performances to protest against 'Europe's last dictatorship'
theatre, dance, post-soviet states, belarus, minsk, alexander lukashenko, festivals
Free Theatre of Minsk in images
Extracts from 'Breathing Technquies In A Place Without Air' and 'Being Harold Pinter,' by artists-in-residence the Free Theatre of Minsk at the Alfortville studio theatre, Paris, May 2007
New wave in theatre
Free from the shackles of Communist oppression, Czech theatre has discovered its own identity, lying somewhere between pop culture and experimental drama. Presenting three portraits of this new generation
theatre, central and eastern europe, czech republic, prag, youth, culture
Ivan Rajmont - from Kundera to Stoppard
The Czech stage director explains why 'European theatre' doesn't fit snugly into one box
theatre, brunch, germany, czech republic, prag, austria, europe
