Peter Zadek, the Peer Gynt of European theatre

The daily Delo looks back on events in the world of theatre in 2009, praising the profound significance of German director Peter Zadek, who passed away in July: "Zadek's conception of theatre put high culture and mass culture on a par. Zadek never stopped playing the role of the eternally critical 'agent provocateur', not in today's tawdry political sense, but socially and morally. His wildest phase came with his stagings of Shakespeare in the 1970s. Practically each and every one of these was a scandal. Zadek's uncompromising, individualist vision manifested itself in - if you believe his critics - outright vulgarity, obscenity even. ... For him theatre was social art, engendered through the interplay of dramatic figure and actor. ... Zadek's theatre was rebellious, unexpected and astonishing. ... With him a sort of Peer Gynt of European theatre also perished."

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