Thomas Ostermeier

For Latvian audiences, this was a rare opportunity to experience not just an individual production, but the artistic universe of a director who has shaped contemporary international theatre for more than fifteen years. It was Ostermeier who transformed Schaubühne into one of Europe's leading dramatic theatres—a venue where every premiere becomes an international event.
Berlin is home to hundreds of theatres and concert venues, yet Schaubühne remains a phenomenon of its own. It has established itself as a theatre equally respected by professionals and embraced by general audiences. Its repertoire combines contemporary drama with bold reinterpretations of classical works, while its roster of directors includesinternationally acclaimed artists such as Milo Rau and Katie Mitchell. The theatre's ensemble features internationally recognised actors, including Lars Eidinger.

Yet the defining artistic force behind Schaubühne remains Thomas Ostermeier himself. His productions have long become part of contemporary theatre history. Hamlet, A Doll's House, An Enemy of the People, Richard III, Othello, and The Seagull have become landmark productions far beyond Germany. The world's leading theatre festivals—including Avignon, Edinburgh, Vienna and Berlin—have presented his work for many years. In 2011, Ostermeier received the Golden Lion of the Venice Biennale in recognition of his outstanding contribution to theatre.

Ostermeier possesses the rare ability to combine intellectually rigorous theatre with emotional precision and an almost physical sense of contemporary reality. His productions are consistently socially engaged, psychologically uncompromising and strikingly relevant. He has collaborated with major international stars, from Isabelle Huppert to Cate Blanchett, while consistently maintaining his own distinctive directing style—honest, uncompromising and deeply personal.

Created in 2018, History of Violence is based on the autobiographical novel by French writer Édouard Louis, an international bestseller translated into dozens of languages. The novel recounts a real incident from the author's life: a chance encounter on Christmas Eve ends in rape, threats and physical violence. Yet Ostermeier is less interested in reconstructing the crime itself than in exploring how trauma continues to shape both the individual and society.

The reactions of the protagonist's sister, the police, doctors and those around him gradually expose hidden mechanisms of racism, homophobia and collective indifference. The events are retold through multiple voices, fragmented into shifting perspectives and changing meanings, as if memory itself resists the possibility of telling the truth directly.

Ostermeier's signature theatrical language—combining live video projections, cinematic close-ups, carefully controlled dramatic rhythm and performances of almost documentary realism—creates an overwhelming sense of presence. The audience becomes not a distant observer but an active participant in an emotional journey where every word, every silence and every gesture carries weight.

History of Violence cannot, by its very nature, be described as an optimistic work. Yet its greatest strength lies in Ostermeier's belief in the possibility of moving beyond trauma. Echoing the ideas of political philosopher Hannah Arendt, he suggests that we remain capable of changing the world and bringing something new and positive into it. It is on this note that the two-hour performance concludes.

The Schaubühne Berlin performances in Riga were far more than another theatrical event—they offered a rare opportunity to experience the work of a director widely regarded as one of the defining figures of twenty-first-century world theatre.