As part of Zoukak Sidewalks
Alexander Zeldin: Artist talk followed by a discussion
Wednesday 20 Dec, 8:00PM-9:30PM at Zoukak Studio, Karantina.
Theatre director and playwright Alexander Zeldin, artist in residence at the National Theatre, sees his style of work not as explicitly playwriting or directing, but as ‘stage writing’, considering the language of bodies, personalities, atmospheres, light and sound as much as words.
Alexander will be in conversation with Zoukak around the theme of "writing on actors”, and creating work with people outside of the theatre. He will share his experiences of growing a theatre practice from the fringe, to the heart of the National Theatre in London, and his evolving practice working with non-professionals and professionals. He will consider political and artistic questions around the place of the theatre in the community today, focusing on the way he writes his plays over 2 to 3 years. He will also show excerpts from the work of Peter Brook and Marie-Hélène Estienne whom he assisted in 2013 on their revival of A Magic Flute.
About Alexander Zeldin
Zeldin began directing at school and while still a university student created a production of Calderon de La Barca's Constant Prince in Cairo, working with local musicians. After graduating, Zeldin began work at the Mariinsky Opera directing the Russian premiere of Powder her Face by Thomas Adès at the invitation of Liberatum, as well as works by Puccini and Ravel. In 2010 he was selected to helm the European Theatre Company at the Napoli Teatro Festival Italia, collaborating again with artists from the middle east on a production of Romeo and Juliet in Arabic and Italian designed by George Tsypin. In 2011, he was invited to South Korea to direct Macbeth with Yi Youn Taek's Goripae Group (Korean Critics' Choice) and In January 2012, he created a new piece, "Shemehé", for the British Council-National Theatre Studio-Rustaveli National Theatre Georgia and Black Battles with Dogs at the Southwark Playhouse. In 2013, Zeldin assisted Peter Brook and Marie-Hélène Estienne on their revival of A Magic Flute. He has also collaborated with dancer Mélanie Lomoff on CODE UNKNOWN, acting as outside eye/dramaturg (Opera Estate/ Bassano Del Grappa, Mousonturm Frankfurt).
Since 2011, Zeldin has formed an ensemble of actors in the UK with the aim of collaborating together long term in projects where he writes through a devising process. Their projects include Doing the Idiots (NT Studio 2012) (A response to Lars Von Trier's film The Idiots) Shemehe, and Beyond Caring (Yard Theatre, 2013) by Zeldin. Beyond Caring transferred to the National Theatre in May 2015. And in 2017, Zeldin after several years of working on a new production with the Lookingglass Theatre Company in Chicago presented its United States debut.
His work has been recognised by a nomination to the Rolex Mentor Protege Award in 2012, for the leading young artistic voices of the future. He was one of the winners of the Quercus Award and is currently Associate Director of Birmingham Rep.
