Photo: Gianmarco Bresadola, 2018
Photo: Gianmarco Bresadola, 2018 
Photo: Gianmarco Bresadola, 2018
Photo: Gianmarco Bresadola, 2018 
Photo: Gianmarco Bresadola, 2018
Photo: Gianmarco Bresadola, 2018 
Photo: Gianmarco Bresadola, 2018
Photo: Gianmarco Bresadola, 2018 
Photo: Gianmarco Bresadola, 2018
Photo: Gianmarco Bresadola, 2018 
Photo: Gianmarco Bresadola, 2018
Photo: Gianmarco Bresadola, 2018 
Photo: Gianmarco Bresadola, 2018
Photo: Gianmarco Bresadola, 2018 
Photo: Gianmarco Bresadola, 2018
Photo: Gianmarco Bresadola, 2018 
Photo: Gianmarco Bresadola, 2018
Photo: Gianmarco Bresadola, 2018 
Photo: Gianmarco Bresadola, 2018
Photo: Gianmarco Bresadola, 2018 
Photo: Gianmarco Bresadola, 2018
Photo: Gianmarco Bresadola, 2018 
Photo: Gianmarco Bresadola, 2018
Photo: Gianmarco Bresadola, 2018 
 

Shakespeare’s Last Play

by Dead Centre
after »The Tempest« by William Shakespeare
Direction: Bush Moukarzel, Ben Kidd
World Premiere
Globe

German Translation by Gerhild Steinbuch

03/04/2019, 20.00–21.45

»In the history of art, late works are the catastrophe.« (Theodor Adorno)

Shakespeare’s last play »The Tempest« takes place nowhere. The magician Prospero − also believed to be Shakespeare’s last role as an actor − rules over an unnamed island, a place where those stranded on it experience boredom, terror, grief, euphoria and despair. In other words, they are in a theatre. Some have suggested that »The Tempest« was Shakespeare’s farewell to Art. Through the character of Prospero, he assembles the world on a stage and begs them to let him go. But art seems unwilling to grant him his freedom − the Death of the Author is not permitted − and 402 years after Shakespeare died, we are still keeping him alive, perhaps against his will. Humanity insists on its Gods. Heiner Müller said: »We have not yet arrived at ourselves, so long as Shakespeare writes our plays.« Perhaps it is time for Shakespeare’s last play. »The Tempest« presents us with a world of lost people, lost in their own worlds, struggling to understand where they are. Prospero watches over them, knowing their every move − as we see them move inexorably towards the end. Shakespeare showed us that whatever your role, King or beggar, all of humanity meets in the democracy of the grave.

Dead Centre are based in Dublin. They have made four works, and have toured throughout Europe, Australia and North America. They have presented three works at Schaubuhne, as part of FIND festival: »Chekhov’s First Play«, »LIPPY« (2016) and »Hamnet« (2017).

www.deadcentre.org

>>> Essay about the production in Pearson's Preview: Shipwrecked with Dead Centre and »Shakespeare’s Last Play«

Direction: Ben Kidd, Bush Moukarzel
Set Design: Chloe Lamford
Costume Design: Nina Wetzel
Video: José Miguel Jiménez González
Sound Design: Kevin Gleeson
Dramaturgy: Nils Haarmann
Lighting Design: Norman Plathe
Alonso: Thomas Bading
Gonzalo: Moritz Gottwald
Miranda: Jenny König
Antonia: Nina Kunzendorf
Ferdinand: Mark Waschke
Voice: Bush Moukarzel
Duration: ca. 105 minutes

Premiered on 24 April 2018

Caution: Strobe lights will be used during this performance.

We would like to kindly point out that there is a scene in the performance which can cause disgust and in which a lot of theatrical blood flows. This can perhaps have a disturbing effect on sensitive spectators, especially young people.