Shailendra Khopkar

German director whose jewish parents fled to Britain 1933. Zadek worked in English theatres from 1949 to 1960,acquiring a fondness for improvistional freedom that is not common in Germany . On his return to his native he directed BEHAN's The Hostage at Ulm, testing his audienc with a play that had emerged through the hit-and-miss of JOANS LITTLEWOOD's experimental rehearsals . At Wuppertal in 1967 , Zadek staged an imaginative production of O'CASEY's anti-war play, THE SILVER TASSIE , delighting in controversy . He was appointed director of th Bochum thaetre in 1972 and collaborated with Tankred Dorst on a political piece called little Man-What Now? He is flamboyant entertainer who enjoys provoking his audience and collaborating with his actors. In his production of King Lear at Bochum(1974) he combined VAUDEVILLE with GRAND GUIGNOL , contriving nonetheless to make the death of Cordelia outstandingly moving. PETER STEIN has referred to Zadek's work on King Lear and The Winter's Tale , performed on two tons of greenslime,as'Shakespeare in underpants.'