The Bukowski Project

...Lemper is very comfortable when putting free verse to music with her imposing interpretative elegance...

- César López Rossell, El Periódico

Ute Lemper interprets the songs of Brecht, Weill and Brel with material from the Blue Angel musical and then, together with Mario Gas, takes us on a voyage through the poetry of Charles Bukowski (1920-1994).

The physical setting and atmosphere of Los Angeles, the ordinary lives of humble Americans, the writing, the alcohol, the drugs the sex and the dirty realism are all here put to music and song by Ute Lemper (Munster, Germany, 1963) and Mario Gas (Montevideo, Uruguay, 1947).

Todd Turkisher (percussion), Vana Grieg (piano) and Steve Millhouse (guitar and bass) complete this exciting onstage double-act that also includes the video projections of Álvaro Luna.

The uncompromising Ute Lemper has left her mark on theatre audiences around the world (appearing with figures such as Jérôme Savary, Pina Bausch and Maurice Béjart) and in the cinema (working with directors such as Peter Greenaway, Robert Altman and Ivan Dikhovichni). But internationally she is, above all, celebrated for her concerts and her extensive discography, including her legendary interpretations of Berlin cabaret songs, French song and contemporary rock material, ranging from Tom Waits to Elvis Costello and Nick Cave.

Mario Gas, her onstage companion, is a hugely versatile performer both as actor and director. He has directed more than 50 theatre productions and acted in more than 30 films, winning many awards in the process. He is currently director of the Teatro Español in Madrid.

The Bukowski Project was premiered at the Temporada Alta Festival in Girona on November 25, 2009.