Alte Meister (Old Masters)

Company Burgtheater, Vienna
Venue Royal Lyceum Theatre
Address Grindlay Street nr Usher Hall
Reviewer Ksenija Horvat

Burgtheater from Vienna has chosen Edinburgh for its British debut with two of its acclaimed productions, Alte Meister and The Seagull.

Alte Meister is an adaptation of Thomas Bernhard's satirical novel of the same title. It tells the story of Mr Reger, a much-admired music critic, who habitually visited the famous Vienna Kunshistorisches Museum for more than thirty years, only to sit in front of the same painting, Tintoretto's White-Bearded Man.

The action takes place after Reger's death, as four competing biographers enact fragments from Reger's life and narrate his thoughts. What follows is the story of quite an extraordinary life, in sensitive adaptation of Bernhard's work by Stephan Müller and Claudia Hamm, and in the terrific performances by Urs Hefti, Hanspeter Müller, Edmund Telgenkämper and Adrian Furrer. The scholarly wryness of the text is complemented by refined stage physicality that often loiters on the verge of clownery, and the beauty and precision of the actors' choral work matches the joie de vivre of their individual acting styles.

Stephan Müller and Claudia Hamm's direction is suitably underplayed, and accompanied by some inventive solutions in terms of lighting (Norbert Gottwald) and costumes (Miro Paternostro). Seemingly shabby and conventional set (Siegfried A Mayer) cleverly comes to life, and grows vastly symbolic, during the actors' interplay.

This is a typical Burgtheater production that provides an intense, intelligent and funny insight into the Austrian psyche. Undoubtedly, it will not set the entire audience on fire. Surely, it will be popular with some. It is certain that, whatever your theatrical tastes, it will not fail to move you.

Performed in German with English supertitles.

© Ksenija Horvat 28 August 2001