Zadek, Peter
Zadek, Peter (b. 1926),German director. From 1933 to 1958, Zadek lived in England, where he studied Shakespeare at Oxford and directed extensively. Returning to Germany, he joined with designer Wilfried Minks to develop the Bremen style of theatre. Untraditional, anti-intellectual, and deliberately shocking, Zadek's productions emphasize non-verbal communication over speech, a priority exemplified by his visceral production of Measure for Measure (1967). Although Jewish himself, Zadek directed The Merchant of Venice (1973) with Hans Mahnke as an extremely unsympathetic Shylock. His famous ‘clown show’ King Lear (1974) was developed through improvisation and intensive ensemble work, a technique he also used for Othello (1976) and Hamlet (1977). His later Hamlet, with Angela Winkler in the title role, was highly acclaimed at the Edinburgh Festival in 2000.
Bradley Ryner
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