“Good artists borrow, great artists steal” is a bastardised quote from the great poet, T.S. Eliot. I’ve bought a rail-pass, packed my rucksack and tomorrow I set off for a month of theatrical thieving and inspirational productions in twenty venues across nine European cities.
As a theatre-grad, hanging in unemployed limbo between university and a career in the arts, I’ve decided to spend four weeks drawing inspiration from the current theatre climate. But what kind of thespian-thief would I be to steal from home ground? No; the month will be spent investigating the state of theatre on the other side of the Channel.
My route begins in Paris at the home of Molière, the state run, Comédie-Française. From there I will travel East in a speedy zigzag through Brussels, Frankfurt, Munich, Prague, Vienna, Bratislava and Warsaw before taking a u-turn back in the direction of Berlin where my travels will end. Along the way I will see an avant-garde Hamlet, an epic Pinnochio, the Berlin Ensemble’s Threepenny Opera and a rather strange looking Polish piece with shot-gun wielding child puppets.
I’ll drink beer at the Munich Oktoberfest before/after seeing Troilus and Cressida. I’ll take a 12 hour train from Bratislava to Warsaw to catch a production of Twelfth Night. In Paris I’ll be paying top dollar to sit in the worst seats in the house, in Prague for a tenner I’ll sit in what is either the royal box or the tech box (lost in translation?), and in Frankfurt I’ll be heading for the Cabaret.
With shows booked every night, I’m taking in a mix of national theatres and fringe. At the national theatres I hope to experience some of the best examples of what these countries have to offer. On the fringe, a taste of the alternative: the wild, adventurous and sometimes bizarre. From both I want ideas, images, techniques, inspiration and motivation.
“This guy must be some sort of multi-lingual genius!” I hear you cry. Well I’m not. I passed French GCSE a long time ago, and will struggle to ask directions to the bathroom. Language, I have decided, will not be a problem. I’ve chosen well known plays, so I should be able to grasp what’s happening on stage. Beyond that I will set out to enjoy the way stories are told visually and sensually.
In the national theatres I’ve searched for big stages, big lighting, big costumes and big budgets in the hope that the visual impact, direction and stage craft will be a treat in itself. At the fringe I expect to experience something different: mind bending physical theatre; twisted adaptations of classic texts; and some electrifying site-specific work. If all else fails I’ll just watch the audience!
I’ll be blogging once a week from internet cafes across the continent, sharing my theatrical swag-bag with the Ideastap community. Please get in touch if you have any recommendations for theatre gems around Europe…or indeed any drinking spots!
[These blogs will also be published on Ideas Tap, it's a brilliant site and if you're not already a member I recommend you join. It's free!]
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