Kaspar

Kaspar Hauser was a mysterious figure who was discovered in a German town square. He could speak only one sentence. Later, it emerged that he had spent his childhood in a dark room, cut off from human contact. He was taken in, taught how to speak, how to be a regular member of society.

Handke re-imagines Kaspar today; an absurd man formed and deformed through his violent exposure to the language of our society - the language of adspeak, corporate phrases and sports platitudes. In this remarkably inventive play, ideas about received speech, conformism and the corruption of the individual are exploded into bizarre and fascinating vocal rhythms and stage images.

This production, supported by Southwark Playhouse, filters Handke’s work through the vapid, sterile spaces of a vast, glass-fronted railway arch just off Southwark Street.