Katie Mitchell this week gave the annual lecture at the Goethe-Institut in London. Drawing on her experiences of working in both German and UK theatre, she explored the profound differences between them and, over the course of an hour, including audience questions, was crisp, witty and candid.
Mitchell highlighted the contrasting hierarchies in the two theatres. In Britain, she said the writer came first, followed by the actor, with the director last. In Germany, however, the director was top with the actor second and the writer third. Having directed more than 20 productions in Germany since 2008, Mitchell was clearly liberated by the experience. She talked of introducing the concept of “live cinema”, whereby the stage action is tracked and magnified by cameras, for a production of Franz Xaver Kroetz’s wordless play, Request Programme, in Cologne. Later at the Berlin Schaubühne, she directed Miss Julie, cutting 60% of Strindberg’s text and allowing the cameras to see the action from the point of view of the heroine’s maidservant, Kristin. “In Britain,” said Mitchell, “I was always told to honour the text. In Germany, I was expected to challenge it.”
