Peter Zadek facts for kids

Peter Zadek (born May 19, 1926 – died July 30, 2009) was a famous German director. He directed plays, operas, and movies. He also translated books and wrote screenplays. Many people think he was one of the best directors in German theater history.

Peter Zadek's Life Story

Peter Zadek was born in Berlin, Germany, on May 19, 1926. In 1934, when he was eight years old, his family moved to London, England. There, he studied at the famous Old Vic theatre after spending a year at Oxford University.

Peter started his career working in local theaters in places like Swansea. After studying at the Old Vic, he directed his first plays, including Salome by Oscar Wilde. In the late 1950s, his plays by Jean Genet got a lot of attention in London. He also directed shows for the BBC.

Working in Bremen

In 1958, Zadek moved back to Germany. From 1962 to 1968, he worked at the Theater Bremen. In 1969, he directed a movie called I'm an Elephant, Madame. This film was shown at the 19th Berlin International Film Festival, where it won a Silver Bear award.

His Love for Shakespeare

Peter Zadek and his partner, Elisabeth Plessen, translated many of Shakespeare's plays into German. They also translated works by other famous writers like Pinter and Chekhov. Zadek was well-known for directing Shakespeare's plays. He helped more German audiences become interested in English drama.

A German theater expert noted that Zadek was very busy after arriving in Germany. He directed 14 plays in three years. Zadek was excited about making theater and wasn't afraid to try new things. He liked to show the funny and unusual side of Shakespeare. For example, his famous play Der Kaufmann von Venedig (The Merchant of Venice) in 1988 moved the old story into modern everyday life.

Later Years and Passing

Even when he was sick, Zadek kept working in his later years. His last play was Major Barbara by George Bernard Shaw. It was performed in Zurich in February 2009. Peter Zadek passed away on July 30, 2009, in Hamburg. He is survived by his two children, Simon Zadek and Michele Zadek-Ewing.

Leading German Theaters

Peter Zadek led some of Germany's biggest theaters. He was in charge of the Schauspiel Bochum from 1972 to 1979. This time is known as the "Zadek-Era." He helped start the careers of many performers there. One was Herbert Grönemeyer, who is now a very popular singer. Grönemeyer was Zadek's music director and also acted in plays. Another performer was Natias Neutert, who performed his own one-person shows.

In 1984, Zadek worked at the Freie Volksbühne Berlin. He had a big success with the play Ghetto by Josua Sobol. He discovered the actor Ulrich Tukur during this time. Tukur later became a main actor at the Deutsches Schauspielhaus in Hamburg, where Zadek worked from 1985 to 1989.

From 1992 to 1996, Zadek was one of the leaders of the Berliner Ensemble. This theater was started by Bertolt Brecht. After Germany became one country again, the city of Berlin chose five directors to run the theater. Zadek was one of them, representing the West. He brought an international team with him, which helped bring new life to the Berliner Ensemble. He brought great actors like Gert Voss and Eva Mattes. He also hired Alexander Frey, an American conductor, as the Music Director. Frey was the first American and first non-German to hold this job at the theater. Famous composers like Kurt Weill had held this role before him.

Directing Operas

Peter Zadek directed his first opera, Mozart's The Marriage of Figaro, in 1983. He also directed Kurt Weill's Aufstieg und Fall der Stadt Mahagonny at the Salzburg Festival in 1998.

Acting Roles

Zadek also acted a little bit. He had a small role in Rainer Werner Fassbinder's movie Die Sehnsucht der Veronika Voss (Veronika Voss) in 1982.

Awards and Honors

Peter Zadek was named "Director of the year" many times by Theater heute magazine. He also received several other important awards:

• 1969 Silver Bear for his film I'm an Elephant, Madame
• 1988 Kortner Award
• 1989 Piscator Award and Kainz Award
• 1991 Became a member of the German Academy of the Arts
• 1992 Awarded the Commandeur des Arts et des Lettres (a French honor)
• 1994 Critics' Prize of the Edinburgh International Festival (for his play Anthony and Cleopatra)
• 2001 Nestroy Theatre Prize (Best director)
• 2002 German Federal Cross of Merit
• 2007 Europe Theatre Prize
• 2008 Nestroy Theatre Prize (for his lifetime achievements)

Europe Theatre Prize Recognition

In 2007, Peter Zadek received the XI Europe Theatre Prize in Thessaloniki, Greece. The award group said that they wanted to honor Zadek's work. They noted that he started his career in England and then worked for over forty years in Germany. He changed how theater directors worked by focusing on the text and actors, while also having a strong overall idea for each play. This helped him create exciting shows. He always kept the ideas of his favorite writers, Shakespeare, Ibsen, and Chekhov, in mind.

Peter Zadek's Legacy

After Zadek passed away, a British critic named Michael Billington wrote about him in The Guardian. Billington said that Zadek was very creative and always made you think about a play in a new way. He remembered a modern version of The Merchant of Venice where the character Shylock walked off stage calmly, even after a difficult scene. In 2004, Zadek also directed a very clever and funny Peer Gynt. This play showed that Zadek understood how Ibsen's work connected to other types of theater.

Billington also wrote that Zadek never forgot his British background, even though he became famous in Germany. When Billington saw Zadek's play Moonlight by Pinter, Zadek told him he loved Pinter's work because it was like a mix of Agatha Christie and Kafka. Zadek truly understood Pinter's plays.

In 1999, Zadek directed Hamlet in Vienna with a woman playing the main role. A newspaper in Austria said he had too much of a "children belief in justice."

In 2015, the city of Bochum named a new street near the Schauspielhaus Bochum Peter-Zadek-Straße (Peter Zadek Street) to honor him.

Filmography

Here are some of the films and TV plays Peter Zadek directed:

• Die Kurve (TV play, 1961)
• Die Mondvögel (TV play, 1963)
• I'm an Elephant, Madame (1969)
• Rotmord (TV play, 1969)
• Der Pott (TV play, 1971)
• Ice Age (1975)
• The Roaring Fifties (1983)

Images for kids

• 

  Burgtheater, Vienna, where his famous The Merchant of Venice was performed.

• 

  St. Pauli Theater Hamburg

• 

  Schauspielhaus Zurich