Julia Varley (UK/Denmark) since 1976 is actress at Odin Teatret. Since 1990 she has been involved in the conception and organisation of ISTA (International School of Theatre Anthropology). She is active in The Magdalena Project, a network of women in contemporary theatre of which is a founding member. She directs Transit International Festival and is on the editorial board of The Open Page, a journal devoted to women’s work in theatre. Author of numerous articles and essays and has published five books, among which Stones of Water. Notes of an Odin Actress (Routledge 2011).
This article goes into the details of the process of creation of Theatrum Mundi performances, making examples from the earliest production in 1987 to the most recent in 2016. Eugenio Barba’s task as a director of performers coming from different traditions is to find a coherence in the music, costumes, text, physical scores and narrative through a complex montage. Only a very close collaboration over the years allows such a process to occur resulting in performances presented in open air spaces and on traditional indoor stages.