Theatre, 1985

John Gabriel Borkman

Bergman's final production in Munich was of Henrik Ibsen's second to last drama.
'Ingmar Bergman's noble farewell.'
Headline in the Münchner Merkur

About the production

For this production, a play only rarely performed in Germany, Heinrich Gimmer, dramaturge at the Residenztheater, had done a new German translation that moved between the archaic and modern. Christian symbolic allusions had been omitted. Bergman interpreted the drama as an archetypal 'Faustian' destiny in a middle-class household.

Though Bergman's last production in Munich was politely applauded, the critical reaction was mixed.

Sources

  • The Ingmar Bergman Archives.
  • Birgitta Steene, Ingmar Bergman: A Reference Guide, (Amsterdam University Press, 2005).

Collaborators

  • Hans Michael Rehberg, Johan Gabriel Borkman
  • Christine Buchegger, Gunhild Borkman
  • Tobias Moretti, Erhart Borkman
  • Christa Berndl, Elle Rentheim
  • Rita Russek, Fanny Wilton
  • Heinz Bennent, Vilhelm Foldal
  • Anne Bennent, Frida Foldal
  • Heidy Forster, Chambermaid
  • Heike Wiehle, Dramaturgy
  • Henrik Ibsen, Author
  • Hansgeorg Eder, Stage manager
  • Ingmar Bergman, Director
  • Annette Gassmann, Assistant director
  • Gunilla Palmstierna-Weiss, Designer
  • Stefan Böhm, Assistant designer
  • Svea Köller-Zweig, Prompter
  • Heiner Gimmler, Translation