Stefan Pucher . Deutsches Schauspielhaus Hamburg

Stefan Pucher can rightly be considered one of today's most important young German directors. His play for Documenta X, '15 minutes to comply', signalled his complete breakthrough into the German theatre world. Since then he has directed several Shakespeare plays, including 'Henry IV' and 'Richard III'. So 'Othello' is not his first. In this chilling drama of blind ambition and fatal jealousy we meet the Moor Othello. He is imprisoned in the labyrinth of his own suspicion, which makes him a willing victim of the widespread intrigues of the other leading protagonist, Jago. In Pucher's contemporary staging the characters have degenerated into show concepts who can no longer distinguish fiction from reality. His 'Othello' is reminiscent of pop idols like Michael Jackson, with a dazzling performance in the title role by the talented young German actor Alexander Scheer.