Adaptation and the postdramatic: a study of Heiner Müller in non-European performance

Abstract

In his plays, Heiner Müller uses postdramatic techniques to challenge audiences. Adaptations of his work tend to either engage with these techniques or attempt to make his work more comprehensible for audiences. In this thesis, I will investigate examples of Müller adaptations from different geographic locations outside of Europe. Each example uses a play by Müller to explore contemporary political issues. I will first cover the trend of adapting Müller textually, and the problems inherent in this process. Then I will provide an in-depth analysis of El Periférico de Objetos’ Máquina Hamlet. This production, which is an Argentinean adaptation of Müller’s seminal play Hamletmachine, uses postdramatic techniques that place spectators at the forefront in the production of meaning. As a result, Máquina Hamlet is able to link Müller not only to the political history of Argentina, but also to the history of violence in the world.