Cast

Claudius; Geist - Urs Jucker
Hamlet - Lars Eidinger
Gertrud; Ophelia - Judith Rosmair
Polonius; Osrik - Robert Beyer
Horatio; Güldenstern - Sebastian Schwarz
Laertes; Rosenkranz - Stefan Stern
Director - Thomas Ostermeier
Set design - Jan Pappelbaum
Costumes - Nina Wetzel
Music - Nils Ostendorf
Dramaturg - Marius von Mayenburg
Video - Sebastien Dupouey
Lighting - Erich Schneider
Combat choreography - René Lay

Schaubühne Berlin

The internationally acclaimed Schaubühne Berlin produces contemporary, experimental theatre works. Its renowned directors have made theatre history, first at the Hallesches Ufer and now at the theatre’s current home at Lehniner Platz, since its establishment in 1962. The Schaubühne Berlin’s many international tours, awards and honours for directors, productions and the ensemble are an impressive testimony to the enormous success of the current artistic team. Under Thomas Ostermeier, the Schaubühne has continued to build its reputation and no other German theatre company has a comparable international profile. The Schaubühne’s tradition of contemporary and critical interpretations of classic works from Shakespeare and Chekhov to Ibsen and Tennessee Williams is maintained by Ostermeier and resident director Falk Richter. The company is also committed to the work of living authors, with over 50 world premieres to its name and an annual drama competition for young and emerging playwrights. The Schaubühne also holds the Festival for International New Drama (F.I.N.D.), which sees the presentation of new work from Germany and abroad over the course of a week each year.

Biographies:

Thomas Ostermeier
Director

Born in Soltau in 1968, Thomas Ostermeier studied directing at the Hochschule für Schauspielkunst Ernst Busch, Berlin, from 1992-96. In 1990-91 he acted in the Faust-Project by Einar Schleef at the Hochschule der Künste, Berlin, and in 1993-94 he was both assistant director and actor with Manfred Karge in Weimar and at the Berliner Ensemble. In 1995 Ostermeier directed Die Unbekannte by Alexander Blok in accordance with Meyerhold’s system of biomechanics, and in 1996 he directed Recherche Faust /Artaud at the bat Studiotheater Berlin. From 1996-99 Ostermeier was Artistic Director of the Baracke at the Deutsches Theater, Berlin, where production credits included Fat Men in Skirts by Nicky Silver (1996), Knives in Hens by David Harrower (1997 – invited to the Theatertreffen Berlin), Brecht’s Mann ist Mann (1997), Suzuki by Alexej Schipenko (1997), Shopping & Fucking by Mark Ravenhill (1998 – invited to the Theatertreffe Berlin), Below the Belt by Richard Dresser (1998) and The Blue Bird by Maeterlinck (1999). In 1998 the Baracke was nominated Theatre of the Year. In 1998 and 1999 Ostermeier directed Disco Pigs by Enda Walsh and Fire Face by Marius von Mayenburg at the Schauspielhaus, Hamburg. His final production at the Baracke was Suzuki II by Alexej Schipenko.

Since September 1999 Ostermeier has been resident director and a member of Artistic Direction at the Schaubühne. Production credits are listed below.

Ostermeier has directed two productions at the Münchner Kammerspiele: Der starke Stamm by Marieluise Fleißer (2002) and Die Ehe der Maria Braun by Rainer Werner Faßbinder (2007 – invited to the Theatertreffen Berlin, 2008). He has also directed The Girl on the Sofa by Jon Fosse for the Edinburgh Festival (2002) and The Master Builder by Henrik Ibsen at the Burgtheater, Vienna (2004). In November 2004 Ostermeier was appointed Associate Artist for the Festival d’Avignon.

Productions at the Schaubühne directed by Thomas Ostermeier:
Personenkreis 3.1 by Lars Noren (2000)
Gier by Sarah Kane (2000)
Parasiten by Marius von Mayenburg (2000 – world premiere)
Der Name by Jon Fosse (2000)
This is a Chair by Caryl Churchill (2001)
Danton’s Death by Georg Büchner (2001)
Supermarket by Biljana Srbljanovic (2001 – world premiere)
Better Days by Richard Dresser (2002)
Nora by Henrik Ibsen, (2002 – invited to the Theatertreffen Berlin, 2003)
Wunschkonzert by Franz Xaver Kroetz (2003)
Woyzeck by Georg Büchner (2003)
Der Würgeengel by Karst Woudstra (2003)
Lulu by Frank Wedekind (2004)
Eldorado by Marius von Mayenburg (2004 – world premiere)
Blasted by Sarah Kane (2005)
Hedda Gabler by Henrik Ibsen (2005 – invited to the Theatertreffen Berlin, 2006)
Mourning Becomes Electra by Eugene O´Neill (2006)
A Midsummer Night’s Dream by William Shakespeare (with C. Macras – 2006)
Liebe ist nur eine Möglichkeit by Christoph Nußbaumeder (2006)
Product by Mark Ravenhill (2006)
Cat on a Hot Tin Roof by Tennessee Williams (2007)
Room Service by John Murray and Allen Boretz (2007)
The City | The Cut by Martin Crimp and Mark Ravenhill (2008 – world premiere)
Hamlet by William Shakespeare (2008)
John Gabriel Borkmann by Henrik Ibsen (2009)

Marius von Mayenburg
Dramaturgy

Born in 1972, Marius von Mayenburg has been the Schaubühne’s dramaturge and resident author since 1999. His works include Fireface (Director: Jan Bosse, world premiere 1998) and Hair Man (Director: Michael Talke, world premiere, 2001). At the Schabühne: Fireface (Director: Thomas Ostermeier, 2000) Parasites (Director: Thomas Ostermeier, world premiere, 2000) The Cold Child (Director: Luk Perceval, world premiere, 2002) Eldorado (Director: Thomas Ostermeier, world premiere, 2004) Turista (Director: Luk Perceval, world premiere, 2005) Eye-Light (Director: Ingo Berk, world premiere, 2006) The Ugly One (Director: Benedict Andrews, world premiere, 2007) The Dog, the Night and the Knife (Director: Benedict Andrews, world premiere, 2008) The Stone (Director: Ingo Berk, world premiere, 2008) Director: The Doves by David Gieselmann (2008) Director: Die Nibelungen by Friedrich Schiller (2009)

Urs Jucker
Claudius, Ghost

Born in 1973, and raised in Schaffhausen, Switzerland, Urs Jucker studied at the University of the Arts, Berlin from 1995- 99. Between 1999 and 2003 he was an ensemble member at the New Market Theater in Zurich, where he worked with Elias Perrig, Corinna von Rad, Christian Pade, Crescentia Dünsser and Simone Blatter. From 2003-06 he was in the ensemble at the Basel Theater, where he worked with Ruedi Häusermann, Barbara Frey, Sebastian Nübling, Niklaus Helbling, Samuel Schwarz, Matthias Günther, Lars-Ole Walburg, Rafael Sanchez and Stefan Müller. Since 2006 he has been active as a freelance artist, performing with the Theatergruppe 400asa, at Luzern Theater and Freiburg Theater, among others.

At the Schaubühne:
Maximilian von Moor / Priest in The Robbers by Friedrich Schiller (Director: Lars Eidinger, 2008)
Robert / François Bertrand in The Doves by David Gieselmann (Director: Marius von Mayenburg, 2009)
Pylades in Iphigenia in Tauris by Johann Wolfgang von Goethe (Director: Jossi Wieler, 2009)

Lars Eidinger
Hamlet

Lars was born in 1976 and trained at the Hochschule für Schauspielkunst Ernst Busch in Berlin. Guest roles at the Deutsches Theater Berlin include Penthesilea and Zurüstung für die Unsterblichkeit. Lars Eidinger has been a company member of the Schaubühne since 1999. He also works as a musician and organises the Autistic Disco at the Schaubühne Nachtcafé. In 1998 he published a 10”, I’ll break ya legg, with the sub-label Studio 54 of Berlin’s label !K7. Additionally, two of his compositions were brought out as Compilation Fragments by the Berlin label nonine recordings. In 1999, he produced the music for the Ernst August Zurborn documentary film Die Mörder des Herrn Müller, which was broadcast by Arte. He has also composed the music for Thomas Ostermeier’s productions Nora (by Henrik Ibsen), Der Würgeengel (by Karst Woudstra) and Mourning Becomes Electra (by Eugene O’Neill).

At the Schaubühne (selection):
Doctor Rank in Nora by Henrik Ibsen (Director: Thomas Ostermeier, 2002)
Graham in Cleansed by Sarah Kane (Director: Benedict Andrews, 2004)
Jørgen Tesman in Hedda Gabler by Henrik Ibsen (Director: Thomas Ostermeier, 2005)

Sebastian Schwarz
Horatio, Guildenstern

Sebastian Schwarz was born in Thuringia, and studied acting at the Ernst Busch College of Dramatic Art in Berlin. His professional theatrical credits, which began during his studies, include Jim in The Glass Menagerie at bat (2006), Danton in Death of Danton at the German Theater (2007), as well as film and television work. His film debut was in Polska Love Serenade (2007-08). He has been a member of the Schaubühne’s ensemble since January 2008.

At the Schaubühne:
Stephen in The City and the Cut by Martin Crimp and Mark Ravenhill (Director: Thomas Ostermeier, 2008)
Erhardt in John Gabriel Borkmann by Henrik Ibsen (Director: Thomas Ostermeier, 2008)
Dr. Erich Asendorf in The Doves by David Gieselmann (Director: Marius von Mayenburg, 2009)
Siegfried in Die Nibelungen by Friedrich Schiller (Director: Marius von Mayenburg, 2009)

Stefan Stern
Laertes, Rosencrantz

Born in 1982 in Frankfurt / Oder, Stefan was a member of the Frankfurt Free Theater from 2002-04, and has studied acting at the Ernst Busch College of Dramatic Arts since 2004. He was a guest performer in various roles in New Lives at the German Theater Berlin (Director: Robert Schuster, 2006).

At the Schaubühne:
Yasha in The Cherry Orchard by Anton Chekhov in Falk Richter’s adaptation (Director: Falk Richter, 2008)
Ferdinand in Intrigue and Love by Friedrich Schiller (Director: Falk Richter, 2008)
Helmar Bertrand in The Doves by David Gieselmann (Director: Marius von Mayenburg, 2009)

Jan Pappelbaum
Set Designer

Jan Pappelbaum was born in 1966 in Dresden. He played competitive volleyball for seven years on the GDR’s national team, after which he trained as a mason, and then studied architecture in Weimar. He was a director and manager of the student theatre. From 1993-96 he was an assistant to Dieter Klaß (Manfred Karge’s stage designer) for the Faust Cube at the Weimar Art Fest. In 1995 Pappelbaum had his first collaboration with Thomas Ostermeier and Tom Kühnel/Robert Schuster.

Since then he has done stage design for Ostermeier, including Trommeln in der Nacht (bat Theater, Berlin), Die Unbekannte (bat), A Man’s a Man (Barracks, German Theatre Berlin), Der blaue Vogel (German Theatre Berlin), as well as The Master Builder (Burgtheater Vienna). For Kühnel/Schuster he has designed Weihnachten bei Ivanovs, Stella, Der Drache (Maxim Gorki Theater Berlin), Waiting for Godot, Peer Gynt, Alice in Wonderland, Titus Andronicus and Faust I and II (Schauspiel Frankfurt). At the TAT Frankfurt: German for Foreigners, Das Kontingent, Arabian Nights and Die heilige Johanna
der Schlachthöfe (Co-productions with the Schaubühne).

In Frankfurt Pappelbaum has been responsible for several exhibition designs at the Städel, and he was Production Director at the TAT Frankfurt. Since 2001 Pappelbaum has been Production Director at the Schaubühne.

At the Schaubühne:
Personenkreis 3.1 by Lars Norén (Director: Thomas Ostermeier, 2000)
Dantons Tod by Georg Büchner (Director: Thomas Ostermeier, 2001)
Supermarket (Director: Thomas Ostermeier, 2001)
The Golden Age by Richard Dresser (Director: Thomas Ostermeier, 2002)
Nora by Henrik Ibsen (Director: Thomas Ostermeier, 2002 Wunschkonzert by Franz Xaver Kroetz (Director: Thomas Ostermeier, 2003)
Woyzeck by Georg Büchner (Director: Thomas Ostermeier, 2003)
Der Würgeengel by Karst Woudstra (Director: Thomas Ostermeier, 2003)
The System 1/Electronic City by Falk Richter (Director: Tom Kühnel, 2004)
The System 2/Unter Eis by Falk Richter (Director: Falk Richter, 2004)
A Midsummer Night’s Dream based upon William Shakespeare (Director: Thomas Ostermeier, Constanza Macras, 2006)
Stanley Kowalski in A Streetcar Named Desire by Tennessee Williams (Director: Benedict Andrews, 2009)
Direction of The Robbers by Friedrich Schiller (2008)

Judith Rosmair
Gertrude, Ophelia

Born and raised in Munich, Judith studied at the College of Music and Performing Arts in Hamburg. Her first role was at the Bochum Schauspielhaus, where she worked with directors Frank-Patrick Steckel, Jürgen Gosch, Leander Haußmann, Werner Schroter, Frank Castorf, Dimiter Gotscheff and Jürgen Kruse, among others. Her roles include: Lieschen in Die Wupper; Cressida in Shakespeare’s Troilus and Cressida; Luise in Schiller’s Love and Intrigue; Klara in Hebbel’s Maria Magdalena; Gretchen in Goethe’s Urfaust; Honey in Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf; Martha in The Misunderstanding by Camus and Ariel in Shakespeare’s The Tempest. Between 2000 and 2008 she was in the ensemble at the Thalia Theater in Hamburg. There her roles included: Ophelia in Hamlet (Director: Jürgen Kruse); Suki in Harold Pinter’s Celebration (Director: Stephan Kimmig); Queen Isabella in Christopher Marlowe’s Edward II (Director: Martin Kusˇej); Abbie Putnam in Eugene O’Neill’s Desire Under the Elms (Director: Jürgen Kruse); Franziska in Minna von Barnhelm (Director: Niklaus Helbling); Roxane in Rostand’s Cyrano! (Director: Stefan Moskov); Das wird schon. Nie mehr lieben! by Sibylle Berg (Director: Isabel Osthues); Dies ist kein Liebeslied by Karen Duve (Director: Jorinde Dröse); Dorine in Tartuffe by Molière (Director: Dimiter Gottscheff); Gudrun Ensslin in Ulrike Maria Stuart by Elfriede Jelinek (Director: Nicolas Stemann) and Kismet in Vatertag by Franz Wittenbrink.

Judith was awarded Actress of the Year in 2007 by the critics of Theater heute. Since 2008 she has been a member of the Schaubühne’s ensemble.

At the Schaubühne:
Susan in The Cut by Mark Ravenhill (Director: Thomas Ostermeier, 2008)
Lady Milford in Intrigue and Love by Friedrich Schiller (Director: Falk Richter, 2008)

Robet Beyer
Polonius, Osric

Beyer was born in 1969, and trained at the Ernst Busch College of Dramatic Arts in Berlin. At the bat Studiotheater he performed in The Stranger by Alexander Blok (Director: Thomas Ostermeier) and A Certain Number of Conversations by Alexander Vedensky (Director: Bogdanov/Treskov). In 1996 he performed as Moritz Stiefel in Spring Awakenings at Schauspiel Leipzig. He was employed from 1996-99 at the Düsseldorf Schauspielhaus, with roles including Jochanaan in Einar Schleef’s Salome production; Mortimer in Maria Stuart (Director: Dietrich Hilsdorf); Crampas in Effi Briest (Director: Kazuko Watanabe); the Uncle in The Dybbuk (Director: Janusz Wisnievsky) and a guest performer at the German Schauspielhaus in Hamburg in Fireface (Director: Thomas Ostermeier). Since 1999 he has been a member of the Schaubühne’s ensemble.

At the Schaubühne (selection):
Distress by Falk Richter (Director: Falk Richter, 2005)
A Midsummer Night’s Dream freely adapted from William Shakespeare (Director/Choreographer: Thomas Ostermeier, Constanza Macras, 2006)
Andrei in Three Sisters by Anton Tschechow (direction: Falk Richter, 2006)
Wurm in Intrigue and Love by Friedrich Schiller (Director: Falk Richter, 2008)
Holger Voss in The Doves by David Gieselmann (Director: Marius von Mayenburg, 2009)
Gunther in Die Nibelungen by Friedrich Schiller (Director: Marius von Mayenburg, 2009)

Sebastien Dupouey
Video

Sebastian Dupouey created the video sequences for Thomas Ostermeier’s production of Before Sunrise by Gerhard Hauptmann at the Munich Kammerspiele.

At the Schaubühne:
Hedda Gabler by Henrik Ibsen (Director: Thomas Ostermeier, 2006)
Cat on a Hot Tin Roof by Tennessee Williams (Director: Thomas Ostermeier, 2007)
Intrigue and Love by Schiller (Director: Falk Richter, 2008)

Erich Schneider
Lighting Designer

Erich Schneider is responsible for the lighting design. He is the director of the lighting department.
At the Schaubühne (selection): Cleansed by Sarah Kane (Director: Benedict Andrews, 2004) Hedda Gabler by Henrik Ibsen (Director: Thomas Ostermeier, 2005) A Midsummer Night’s Dream freely adapted from William Shakespeare (Director/Choreographer: Thomas Ostermeier, Constanza Macras, 2006) Cat on a Hot Tin Roof by Tennessee Williams (Director: Thomas Ostermeier, 2007) Room Service by John Murray and Allen Boretz (Director: Thomas Ostermeier, 2007) State of Emergency by Falk Richter (Director: Falk Richter, 2007) The Dog, the Night and the Knife by Marius von Mayenburg (Director: Benedict Andrews, 2008) John Gabriel Borkmann by Henrik Ibsen (Director: Thomas Ostermeier, 2008) Iphigenia in Tauris by Johann Wolfgang von Goethe (Director: Jossi Wieler, 2009) The System 3/Amok WENIGER NOTFÄLLE by Falk Richter (Director: Falk Richter, 2004) The System 4/Hotel Palestine by Falk Richter (Director: Falk Richter, 2004) Lulu by Frank Wedekind (Director: Thomas Ostermeier, 2004) Hedda Gabler by Henrik Ibsen (Director: Thomas Ostermeier, 2005) Mourning Becomes Electra by Eugene O’Neill (Director: Thomas Ostermeier, 2006) A Midsummer Night’s Dream freely adapted from William Shakespeare (Director and Choreographer: Thomas Ostermeier, Constanza Macras, 2006) Cat on a Hot Tin Roof by Tennessee Williams (Director: Thomas Ostermeier, 2007) Room Service by John Murray and Allen Boretz (Director: Thomas Ostermeier, 2007) The City and The Cut by Martin Crimp and Mark Ravenhill (Director: Thomas Ostermeier, 2008) Hamlet by William Shakespeare (Director: Thomas Ostermeier, 2008) John Gabriel Borkmann by Henrik Ibsen (Director: Thomas Ostermeier, 2009)

Nina Wetzel
Costume Designer

Born in 1969, Nina studied costume design at the École Supérieure des Arts et Techniques in Paris. She worked as a designer for Christoph Schlingensief on Impossible Passion – Schlingensief’s Train Station Mission at the Schauspielhaus in Hamburg, on Chance 2000 – Campaign Circus ‘98 at Berlin’s Volksbühne, and on Hotel Prora in the Prater at the Volksbühne. She also did design for Schlingensief’s Asylum Container Project, Please Love Austria at the Vienna Festwochen; stage and costume design on Kleist’s Kätchen from Heilbronn at the Hanover Schauspielhaus (Director: Elias Perrig); stage and costume design on Thomas Jonigk’s Täter at the Hamburg Schauspielhaus (Director: Christina Paulhofer); costume design on Frank Wedekind’s Franziska at Hanover Schauspiel; stage and costume design for Rainald Goetz’s Rave at the Zurich Schauspielhaus; as well as costume design for Moritz von Uslar’s Friends II at Hanover Schauspiel. In 2002 she did stage and costume design for Sallinger by B.M. Koltès at the Munich Kammerspiele, and costume design for Day of Mercy by Neil LaBute at the Zurich Schauspielhaus. She did costume design on Händl Klaus’s The Dark Tempting World (Director: Tom Kühnel) at the Vienna Burgtheater; design on Martin Crimp’s Fewer Emergencies at the Festival de Liège with Thomas Ostermeier; stage design for The Marriage of Maria Braun after R.W. Fassbinder, at the Munich Kammerspiele (Director: Thomas Ostermeier); stage and costume design for Black Virgins by Feridun Zaimoglu at the Vienna Burgtheater (Director: Lars Ole Walburg); costume design for the stage adaptation of Snow by Orhan Pamuk at the Munich Kammerspiele (Director: Lars Ole Walburg). In 2004 Nina designed costumes for the French film Camping Sauvage with Denis Lavant and Isild Le Besco (Director: Christoph Ali and Nicolas Bonilauri).

At the Schaubühne:
Macbeth by William Shakespeare (Director: Christina Paulhofer, 2002)
The Duchess of Malfi by John Webster (Director: Christina Paulhofer, 2004)
Hedda Gabler by Henrik Ibsen (Director: Thomas Ostermeier, 2005)
Hamlet by William Shakespeare (Director: Thomas Ostermeier, 2008)
The Doves by David Gieselmann (Director: Marius von Mayenburg, 2009)
John Gabriel Borkmann by Henrik Ibsen (Director: Thomas Ostermeier, 2009)

Nils Ostendorf
Music

Nils Ostendorf was born in 1977 in Hamburg. He started playing piano at the age of five, and trumpet at the age of eleven. Nils studied jazz trumpet formally at the Folkwang College in Essen, and at the conservatory in Rotterdam, and had exchange opportunities in New York and at the Banff Centre for the Arts. He was awarded the Folkwang Prize in 2000 and received a scholarship from the Cultural Ministry of the state of North Rhine Westphalia, and from the DAAD.

Nils has toured throughout Europe, Canada and the US, with musicians including Dave Douglas, Ernst Reijseger, Benoit Delbecq, Maja Ratkje, and Stale Storlokken. He has worked with the international ensemble The Silencers, the electroacoustic trio Professor Doctor Doctor, and the trio VOG. He has also performed with improvisational artists in Germany, France and Norway. He was formerly the music director, composer and musician with the dance company Les Petits Poissons under Samir Akika (compositions for 22 Blvd. Lafayette and Loca Mierda with dancers of the CDDC/Cuba). In addition he has worked as a composer and live performer for director Mikael Serre and his theatre company Bathyscaphe (compositions for productions of Oh, le me regarde…, L’Enfant Froid and HHH at the Théâtre de la Bastille, the Ferme du Buisson, and la Rose des Vents / Lille, and at the Perspectives Festival in Saarbrücken). In summer 2007 he was a composer at the Munich Kammerspiele for The Marriage of Maria Braun (Director: Thomas Ostermeier, included in the Berlin Theatertreffen 2008). He was a composer and live performer for the dance piece Becket, Beer and Cigarettes (for the dance company Felix Bürkle/startingpoint) and musician in the production of Dialogues (Folkwang Dance Studio). He also performed in productions at the Oberhausen Theater, at Schauspiel Frankfurt, and at the NRW Tanzhaus, and has done multiple recordings of work by composer Philipp Ludwig Stangl.

At the Schaubühne:
John Gabriel Borkmann by Henrik Ibsen’s (Director: Thomas Ostermeier, 2009)