Thomas Bernhard and the Theatre

Thomas Bernhard and the Theatre - 'Austria is nothing but a stage'

He claimed to have as many enemies as Austria has inhabitants and called himself a master of exaggeration. His plays, such as ‘Heldenplatz’, which premiered in 1988 as a commission for Vienna’s Burgtheater under Bernhard’s director of choice, Claus Peymann, provoked scandals in Austria with reliable regularity. Thomas Bernhard treated the culture industry and the history of his country with acerbity and subtle humour.
The premieres of his plays are used here to illuminate central aspects of his work for the theatre. The volume is a comprehensive portrait of the most significant modern Austrian dramatist and contains analysis of Bernhard’s figures and themes by literary scholars; full, illustrated documentation of collected premieres (including cast lists and reviews); and numerous public statements and interviews by actors, directors and other contemporaries, with accompanying photos.

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