Heiner Muller's the Hamletmachine

"At first glance, readers of The Hamletmachine could be forgiven for wondering whether it is actually a play at all: it opens with a montage of texts that are not ascribed to a character, there is no vestige of a plot, and the whole piece lasts a total of ten pages. Yet this play regularly features in the repertoires of theatres and is frequently staged by university theatre departments. This book examines why such a seemingly obscure piece for the theatre has proved so popular. Readers will be introduced to Müller as an experimental, politically committed writer who seeks to confront the shortcomings of his age in a compact and radically open play. The chapters help unpick the complexities of the writing, consider the problems Müller poses for performance and discuss two exemplary productions in order to show how the play can engage very different audiences."--