by Oskar Kokoschka
On the eve of his 90th birthday, one of the greatest painters of our century, OSKAR KOKOSCHKA presents his play about the Protestant Moravian bishop, Comenius. Persecuted by the fanatical Catholic Emperor Ferdinand II and an exile throughout the 30-Years' War, Comenius struggles to change the world in the face of religious bigotry and violence.
Kokoschka started to write the play before the First World War and completed it in exile in England in 1942. His colourful and dramatic interpretation of history created a political suspense story which was still topical when it finally received its world premiere in this distinguished German production.
Empress Eleonore EVELYN OPELA Shy lock............... CHARLES REGN IER Cardinal ULRICH VON BOCK Drabik...................KURT SOWINETZ Wax Chandler GUNTER STRACK De Geert RAINER LUXEM Queen Christine KORNELIA BOJE with the voices of ROBERT HARDY , MICHAEL JAYSTON STEPHEN MURRAY , CYRIL SHAPS RUPERT DAVIES , DAVID COLLINGS NICOLETTE MCKENZIE
ARNOLD DIAMOND , MALCOLM HAYES MICHAEL MCLEAN and CAROLINE LEIGH
A Polyphon/Gyula-Trebitsch production Directed by STANISLAV BARABAS
English version adapted and produced by RUDOLPH CARTIER
Director MICHAEL BAKEWELL