Martin Wagner
1999 | documentary | 52mins | DV | colour
Director/producer: Martin Wagner
Editor: Kate Mackenzie
With: Klaus Maria Brandauer
Sven Eric Bechtolf
Sue Gorgeous
Hans Hoffer
Andrea Januschek
Jonathan Kent
Daniel Rosenthal
Christian Weisskirchner
» released on DVD in 2007 «
please note that VHS version is no longer available
February '99. Klaus Maria Brandauer arrives at the Almeida Theatre in London for his English-speaking stage debut in Esther Vilar's Speer. Directing and playing the title role, he and his co-star Sven Eric Bechtolf have 12 days to prepare for their challenge.
Film-maker Martin Wagner, who also translated the play, had unprecedented access to the rehearsals. His quietly gripping film captures the underlying tension as the opening night approaches and provides an unique and unpretentious insight into one of the finest actors of his generation.
Martin Wagner is a writer and film-maker living in London. read more
'I loved it! Speer in London captures the truth of what happens before the opening night.' Klaus Maria Brandauer
'This documentary film follows Klaus Maria Brandauer from his arrival in London through the twelve days of rehearsal for Speer, ending after the triumphant opening night. It's a wonderful chance to study a great actor at work, especially as he was directing the play as well. A great deal of the time he speaks in German, but the subtitles take care of that and when he gives an interview in English to one of the papers you probably get the closest insight into the workings of his mind. Because he's so intelligent he's careful not to give too much of himself away, but his first-night nerves showed that he's as vulnerable to doubt as any young actor. This really is a special film, and the video has the added bonus of another short film made by the same director, which is very good in its own right. My one quibble is that you don't get to see much of the actual rehearsals, the same lines tend to be done most of the time, but overall I'd say do anything you can to get your hands on a copy.' M. Bingley at Amazon.co.uk
Artsworld - UK
Goethe Institute - Montreal
to download a trailer for Klaus Maria Brandauer: Speer in London (1.5MB) click here
