Café Müller

Boris Charmatz in conversation with Marietta Piekenbrock on the history, present and future of Café Müller, a piece by Pina Bausch

Two glass doors revolve in a circular enclosure. A woman is flushed on to the dark stage by the revolving door and darts between the empty chairs, then disappears stage right. This is the beginning of Café Müller, a piece by Pina Bausch. If it were up to Boris Charmatz, who became the director of the Tanztheater Wuppertal last August, this piece would never end. Repertoire begins with the syllable ‘re-’. It stands for repetition and return, and in this case also for Henry Purcell’s aria “Remember Me”. And for ‘revolving door’ – a door that circles around in endless movement and yet always remains open.

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