PLAYSVol 31 Nos 4 - 6 £8.90 / €12.90 / $15.90 ISSN 0268 2028 SUMMER 2016 INTERNATIONAL &EUROPE

Thinking Beyond National Borders Israeli director Ofira Henig interviewed by Doron Elia P52 Theatre in Palestine Karma Zoabi P56 The 2016 Europe Theatre Prize, a report Sergio Lo Gatto P36 PLUS The Pacific Playwrights UK, EUROPE, CHINA, Festival NORTH AMERICA, Robert Cohen P72 AUSTRALIA UK Drama Schools REPORTS, PICTURES Jeremy Malies P10 & LISTINGS CONTENTS

4 London Preview Peter Roberts 5 What’s On In London Features 10 UK Drama Schools Jeremy Malies LONDON 12 Neil Dowden at Shakespeare’s Globe 14 Neil Dowden at The Threepenny UK Drama Schools, a report Opera by Jeremy Malies 16 Christine Eccles at Les Blancs; People, Places & Things and With applicant-to-place ratios of at least 7:1, Blue/Orange being accepted at a major drama school in 18 John Russell Taylor at The Flick the UK is harder than winning a place at and The Suicide Oxford or Cambridge Universities. Full 20 John Russell Taylor at Dr Faustus and Stone Face scholarships are rare, and after three years of 22 Jeremy Malies at The Truth study graduates can be left in debt to the 24 Peter Roberts at the English tune of £40,000 as they struggle in a National Opera notoriously competitive sector. Is formal UK REGIONS study worth the sacrifices? How much 26 Crysse Morrison in the Southwest support do drama schools provide to 28 Jeremy Malies in the Southeast students during their first few years in the 30 Basil Abbott in East Anglia industry? Who are the leading providers of 32 Nick Ahad in the North 34 Hugh Rorrison in Scotland training for technical theatre-makers such as lighting and set designers? EUROPE Page 10 36 The Europe Theatre Prize 2016 Sergio Lo Gatto 38 Danielle Byrne in Dublin 40 Barry Daniels in Paris Ofira Henig.Photo:Gerrard Allon 44 Hans-Jürgen Bartsch in 46 Ludovico Lucchesi Palli in Vienna Director Ofira Henig 48 Maggie Rose in Milan PLAYS INTERNATIONAL & EUROPE interviewed by Doron Elia 50 Sergio Lo Gatto in Rome Published by Theater Research Institute of Europe (TRIE, asbl) Ofira Henig is one of ’s outstanding MIDDLE EAST Registre de Commerce et des Sociétés directors, and yet she also has close ties to ISRAEL Luxembourg F5191 174A, rue de Kirchberg, L-1858 Luxembourg Germany and other German-speaking 52 Thinking Beyond National Borders: Telephone +352 2637 5954 European countries, New York, and London. Ofira Henig interviewed by Doron EDITOR: Dana Rufolo Elia BUSINESS MANAGER: Axel Hörhager Here she talks to a fellow Israeli artist to 54 Michael Ajzenstadt in EDITORIAL & SUBSCRIPTIONS: explain how she switched from being the TRIE, asbl darling of the establishment theatre to PALESTINE Seehalde 1 56 Karma Zoabi in Palestine D-78464 Constance, Germany becoming an independent director with Telephone + 49 7531 807 52 24 no financial or contractual ties to the CHINA Website: www.playsinternational.org.uk Email:[email protected] Israeli state. 58 Impressions of Guangzhou Opera House - John Russell Taylor ©2016 Theater Research Institute of Europe Page 52 Printed by Welshpool Printing Group, Printing House, Severn Farm Enterprise Park, AUSTRALIA Welshpool, Powys, SY21 7DF 60 Margaret Leask in Sydney Designed by Charisma Creative, visit www.charismacreative.co.uk CANADA Whilst every care is taken of manuscripts and 62 Jon Kaplan in Toronto material supplied for publication in Plays 64 Malcolm Page in Vancouver International & Europe (whether editorial or for advertising), neither the publishers nor their agents accept responsibility for loss or damage that may USA occur. No one may reproduce any material without 66 Glenda Frank in New York the written permission of the copyright holder. 68 Robert Schneider in Connecticut PLAYS INTERNATIONAL & EUROPE ISSN 0268 2028 70 Lawrence Bommer in Chicago is published quarterly for $100 (USD) per year 72 Robert Cohen in Los Angeles by Theater Research Institute of Europe (TRIE, asbl), Seehalde 1, D-78464 Constance, Germany. Postage Paid at Middlesex New Jersey Postmaster, FRONT COVER: TRIE asbl c/o PO Box 177 Middlesex, New Jersey 08846. US Agent: Pronto Mailers Photo by Oliver Rosser and The Jamie International, 200 Wood Ave, Middx New Jersey Lloyd Company of Kit Harington in a 08846. Postal Registration Number USPS 008-997. critically much maligned Doctor Faustus at the Duke of York Theatre. Read the review on page 20. MIDDLEEAST

Thinking Beyond National Borders Ofira Henig interviewed by Doron Elia

fira Henig has had a long Haifa, Al-Midan, was rich with kicked off the stage.” history as an Israeli theatre visual images, mixed musical In 2002 Henig was appointed Odirector, but increasingly genres, and a babble of languages. to the prestigious position of she dedicates herself to As is Henig’s style, the Artistic Director of drama and elaborating transnational themes performance took place in a dance at the Jerusalem for her performances and theatre simple space, with a very clear International Festival. But because projects.This is particularly the border between the show and the of her tendency to provoke she case in three of her most recent audience.The production accepted to become the director theatre projects, Yes, Stand Out of addressed how different political of The Laboratory, a new My Sun (2012), Three Dog Night systems deal with a person experimental theatre in Jerusalem, (2016), and a dramatic reading of choosing to end his life through a in 2004. She made this a place for Gotthold Ephraim Lessing’s Nathan hunger strike. collaboration between the Wise (Nathan der Weise, 2016). But Ofira Henig was not multicultural authors. Her first Yes, Stand Out of My Sun is a always so international in her production was Oscar Wilde’s research-based performance outlook. Born in 1960 on a Kibbutz, Salome, featuring an ethnically conceived by Henig that examines unlike most of Israel's young mixed group of actors. how both historically and directors she never worked in Today, she remembers the contemporaneously artists are fringe theatres but began her shape of her career in this way:“I influenced by the political career in the country's began as a young director at Tel circumstances of their era. It establishment theatre in 1989. She Aviv’s Hebrew language national toured in Israel, Berlin and Baden became recognized after directing theatre Habima. I worked for 25 in Germany, Liechtenstein, and two plays by French authors which years in the big institutions in Tel Ofira Henig.Photo:Gerrard Allon Zurich, Switzerland. Three Dog indirectly comment on the war in Aviv and Jerusalem and was an Night opened in Israel and Algeria and its impact on French Artistic Director of a few theatres. I travelled to Germany. It was a society The Return to the Desert was very successful and got all the trilingual international by Jean-Marie Coltez at important awards; I was a sort of issue. Genocide is terrible and it coproduction with the European Jerusalem’s Khan Theatre in 2001 Wunderkind. It was very good to happens all over the world, and we Centre for the Arts HELLERAU and Jean Genet’s The Screens at have those conditions, and I have to care about the entire Dresden, in cooperation with the Habima National Theatre in learned a lot and developed as an world.That was what I was told at Berlin’s Deutsches Theater,Tel 2002. The Return to the Desert artist. But now, Israel has changed. home.” Aviv’s Goethe Institute and Cameri won the 2001 Play of the Year We don’t have the same freedom Ofira Henig’s decision to theatre and Lilach The Israel award of the Israel Theatre Prize we used to have.The system is not stage a reading of Nathan der Society to Live and Die with and also earned Henig the title of permitting us to have a long Weise in February 2016 in , Dignity. As the website of the Director of the Year. The Screens creation period or to deal with Beersheba, Acco, and Jerusalem is HELLERAU theatre explains, the was understandably controversial. deep ideas. Everything has to be not surprising since Lessing’s play, play, which was written by Henig At one point in the play, Hadijah, quick, simple, and clear. I can`t published in 1779, condemns herself, deals with self- an old Arab woman called Hadijah work like this, and I don`t want to religious bigotry and propagates determination not only in life but (played by Liat Goren) speaks of work like this.The very right wing ideals of tolerance and humanism. also in the choice of when and her hatred from the depths of government is restricting our The Nazis banned the play, and how to die.The performance suicidal despair. IN an emotionally freedom of speech. So I chose to today it is one of the most popular challenges the spectator to ask moving scene, she declares,“My leave. I only work in independent plays on the German stage. I how we can speak of a dignified hatred is stronger than their contexts. I don`t take money from attended a reading of Henig’s death when life itself lacks dignity. weapons.”I saw this production the government; I do not want to version of Nathan der Weise at The three female characters and remember her speech even partake in their ideas about Acco’s Alternative Theatre located speaking Hebrew, Arabic or today. creativity. I don`t want to co- in the middle of the medieval German gather around a dying About Ophira Henig’s work in operate with the status quo. ..I town.The actors came from three man, and they ask how we can 2002, she told me,“A new space always prefer … to keep the different cultures and again spoke develop our own personal attitude was established in Tel Aviv, and I perspective which an artist needs. three mother tongues: Hebrew, towards death when it threatens was invited to create a piece. I Only, the context has changed.” Arabic, and German.They had us from all sides. started with The Screens and then, Her independent work is different religious affiliations. In Three Dog Night, three a year later I directed Alice. It increasingly interdisciplinary and When I asked why this play women from three different worked very well with The Screens multicultural. Some of her projects was not given a full performance, cultures explore issues but much less with Alice- I guess I deal with social and political issues Henig explained,“I don`t consider surrounding self-determination lost the charm of the story....The relevant to life in Israel. However, Nathan der Weise to be dramatic both in life and in death. Originally space was a half circle and I her outlook is humanistic and enough for a full production. I was unremarkable, these women worked a lot with this- confronting universal. As she told James interested in doing a reading, change when faced with extreme the audience with our disturbing Woodal in a 2010 interview,“I was because for me it is a celebration situations such as natural crazy stuff. It was the period of the born into the new state and called of listening to the characters’ catastrophes and war. A deathly Second Intifada, and I wanted to myself the new Jew. Of course we clever but naive ideas.While chill surrounds them.The dramatic provoke a confrontation. People were brought up to remember listening to the text, we think image is of a cold night when only demonstrated against the fact that everything, so we know the facts about the reality.The play itself is the heat of three dogs and their the productions were subsidized from the past. But at home I was not interesting for theatrical animal presence can protect them. by government money…. And taught to reach a universal production. I saw some The performance which I saw when the scandal stopped, there conclusion about human beings productions based on this text, at the Arabic speaking theatre in was silence and the shows were and not just about the Jewish and they always make it oriental or

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else stage it in a kind of colonial multilingual text gave proof of the remembrance. I didn’t try to tell an art form, but still she believes it style. So I won`t direct it as a show. possibility of a dialogue between the story of the atom bomb.The can facilitate tolerance. Not only Moses Mendelssohn, the cultures, at least for this victims tell it. As an artist I tried to are audience members affected by philosopher who was the production. Henig herself is understand the way the trauma is what they witness, but also when inspiration for the character of quoted as saying that she and the recalled. How does culture deal her actors work together, they Nathan, was the basic education I actors“come from three different with a memory; what does it mean develop close-knit friendships and got at home. My beloved father cultures… and each time we to our society? It links of course to acquire tolerance of each other’s was also named Nathan, and that rehearsed it was an ongoing the way we, the Jewish people, culture. She told me,“I do not made it all the more important to dialogue between us and the text remember our trauma and the way believe in changing reality with me to make people listen to his itself.We experience a different the Palestinians remember their theatre, but it can touch people. It ideas. For me, the reading is a culture and a different language 1948 exodus, the Nakba. I guess can make them think and ask dedication to my father`s wisdom.” enriching us, without having to you can say this project is "post- questions.They stop their routine In addition, the Lessing play understand completely.” modern theatre". It is not only for a couple of hours. I don`t conforms to her belief in the One of Henig’s favourite about a mix of different forms of expect the theatre to be an power of language, even within recent productions was the play text. It is also about mixing instrument; I see it as art. I never the multi-sensorial space of the Ulysses on Bottles (2012). She says, different themes, different levels of choose themes or cast only for stage. She says,“I love text very “Ulysses on Bottles was written by languages, and lately in my last political reasons. I have to find an much. I love to read, I love to deal a very good friend of mine, Gilad projects (Both upon a Time; Yes, aesthetic reason as well. But with and interpret complicated Evron. I’ve directed three of his Stand out of my Sun; Three Dog because I am a political person, and special ancient text. I need plays, and he is the best Hebrew- Night) I also mix different spoken because I work a lot with text and words to start my speaking living playwright.The languages. I am very much Palestinian and German actors, I creation. For me, a word is a world. play is contemporary and speaks interested in creating harmony in am obviously surrounded by The text can be dramatic, or about Gaza, but Gilad keeps his an empty space. I like to give multi-cultural ideas, and I am very documentary - but it has to be poetic style and it is a beautiful dramatic life to my belief that much motivated by this.The artists text.The text, certainly, is not the shocking text. Also I had a great different ideas and cultures, that I work with are also political only way to deliver "the story". actor for this piece, Khalifa Natour. different narratives, can live people.We bring our interests into Even when I create my own He is a Palestinian actor living in together in one theatrical space.” the rehearsal room. So, even if I projects and write by myself, I Israel. If he were to live in his own This is Henig’s special way of were to develop a show based on write as a director and not as a country, he would play Macbeth, expressing the world of theatre as a simple love story it would be writer. I write the performance; I do King Lear, Hamlet, etc. But he is a collaboration between different political. It is difficult to diagnose not write a play.When the text is Palestinian and he lives in Israel. I cultures and a diversity of living what comes first: political precise, not too many words, only directed this play for him. I am so spaces. She is presently passing on conscience or aesthetic interest. I what needs to be said --it is so happy that he and Gilad won her knowledge:“I am now must admit that even today after beautiful: an actor, a word, empty awards for this production.” teaching directing at the about 30 years of directing, I wake space, sound and light: the power Henig describes her present University of Tel Aviv. I meet up in the morning, watch the news, and the wisdom of the human work in the following manner: talented students who warm my and think I’d do better service if I being.” “These last years, I mainly create heart.Teaching those students became a doctor or a lawyer....But The medieval space of Acco projects which are based on with their wide-open eyes is an I’ve achieved my first dream of where this particular dramatic fragments and not on a complete, opportunity to influence.These working in theatre, and I have a reading was staged is a special well-made play. Black Rain was the students still have a thin skin; they talent for creating dramas, so that multicultural Jewish and Arabic first such performance in 2007. It can be touched.” is what I give back to society.” town.The unique geopolitical dealt with the story of Hiroshima, Ophira Henig acknowledges setting and Henig’s use of direct but I was exploring the issue of that theatre is first and foremost Doron Elia can be contacted at playsinternational@theater- research-institute.eu

Scene from Three Dog Night.Photo:Gerard Allon.

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