guests of berlin

Guests of Berlin: John Malkovich & Ingeborga Dapkunaite Bring a Haunting Koltès to the Capital

This time on “Guests of Berlin” — John Malkovich and Ingeborga Dapkunaite visited the city to present In the Solitude of Cotton Fields, a bold and poetic stage piece directed by Timofey Kulyabin. Running for two nights at Admiralspalast, they brought with them not only a hypnotic performance, but also reflections on solitude, performance, and what it means to confront the unspeakable.

Elena Kaplyar-Balzer

Photo: John Malkovich and Ingeborga Dapkunaite © Anton Kulakowskiy

“You’re never really alone, and you’re always alone,” said Ingeborga Dapkunaite at the press conference for the Berlin premiere of In the Solitude of Cotton Fields. Her answer, part reflection, part confession, came in response to The Columbist’s question: What is your idea of perfect solitude?

It’s a question that resonated deeply — not just with Ingeborga and co-star John Malkovich, but with the very heart of the performance they brought to the city.

A Stage, a Mind, and an Unspoken Desire

Directed by Timofey Kulyabin, In the Solitude of Cotton Fields is a visually charged and emotionally loaded staging of Bernard-Marie Koltès’ enigmatic dialogue. The play centres on two archetypes — a buyer and a seller — who meet in a shadowy, unnamed space. But in this production, their interaction becomes an internal confrontation: a solitary man grappling with irreconcilable forces within himself.

This is not a story of commerce. It’s a story of a desire so forbidden it cannot be named, of an identity fractured by social conditioning, of a man unable to reconcile what he wants with what society allows.

“In the original, the characters are trying to negotiate a deal,” said director Timofey Kulyabin. “But neither of them wants to name the object, because naming it would make it real — and it’s something that isn’t allowed. In our version, that dialogue happens entirely inside one person. It’s the subconscious in revolt.”

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Technology, Tension, and Trust on Stage

With six cameras built directly into the set and five operators live-editing the footage during the show, the performance takes on a hybrid form — part theatre, part live cinema. The effect is striking: at times you’re watching the character’s mind as much as their body.

Behind the scenes, the production is just as intricate. “We have 18 people backstage,” the producer noted. “Five live video operators, sound, light, costume. Touring with a show like this is a huge undertaking.”

Berlin as a Character

Berlin isn’t just a location in this tour — it’s a chapter. After years of planning, the team has finally brought the show to the city many of them now call home. “We moved here in 2022,” said the producer Ekaterina Yakimova, “and it means a lot to present it here at last.”

For Malkovich, this wasn’t a sightseeing trip — “No time,” he said, “just the play.” But Berlin leaves an impression nonetheless. As Ingeborga put it, there’s something grounding about creating as a group in this city, especially when the material — like Koltès — digs into themes of alienation and identity.

On Solitude and Art

Returning to our question, John Malkovich added, reflecting on his time in fashion: “When I worked in fashion, I chose fabrics and designed alone. That was a kind of beautiful solitude.” (His label: Mrs. Mudd) He continued: “Theatre is collective, but creation in solitude is something very special.”

And isn’t that, in many ways, what In the Solitude of Cotton Fields offers? A portrait of a man constructing — or slowly unravelling — himself in isolation, even while standing under the spotlight.

In the Solitude of Cotton Fields has wrapped its Berlin performances and is heading next to Düsseldorf and Prague. 

If you missed it here, follow their tour — or ask yourself: what does your own perfect solitude look like?

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