Magda Willi
Copyright by Ute Langkafel/Maifoto

Magda Willi (*1978, Zurich, Switzerland) studied Theatre Design at Central St Martins College of Art and Design, London. In 2004, Magda moved to Berlin, where she has been based ever since. 2004 – 2008, Magda worked at the Schaubühne am Lehniner Platz, initially as assistant, and from 2005 as a designer. Since 2008, Magda has been working as a freelance designer in theatres across Germany, in the UK, France, Austria and Switzerland.

In 2013, Magda joined Shermin Langhoff and Jens Hillje’s creative team taking over the Maxim Gorki Theater, Berlin, where she acted as head of set design until 2017. In 2014, Magda designed The Young Vic Theatre’s production of A Streetcar Named Desire, directed by Benedict Andrews, which, after it’s London run, transferred to St Ann’s Warehouse, New York, where it was presented in April/May 2016.

Further London shows include The Young Vic’s production of Cat On A Hot Tin Roof, directed by Benedict Andrews at the Apollo Theatre, and Jesus Hopped The A Train, directed by Kate Hewitt at The Young Vic Theatre.

Awards: In June 2015, Magda was among the winners of the Swiss Design Awards for her design work. Her shows Verrücktes Blut, directed by Nurkan Erpulat, Don Carlos, directed by Roger Vontobel, and Common Ground, directed by Yael Ronen, were invited to the Berliner Theatertreffen.

Since Magda started working as a designer in 2005, she has met and worked with a number of directors including Thomas Ostermeier, Kate Hewitt, Marius von Mayenburg, John Fulljames, Egill Palsson, Hakan Savas Mican, Ayham Majid Agha, Ingo Berk, Maximilian von Mayenburg and the theatre collective Turbo Pascal, amongst others.

A close working relationship has evolved with directors Benedict Andrews, Yael Ronen, Sebastian Nübling, and Nurkan Erpulat.

2019

Jesus Hopped The A Train (Stephen Adly Guirgis)

directed by Kate Hewitt, The Young Vic Theatre, set design

Status Quo (Maja Zade)

directed by Marius von Mayenburg, Schaubühne am Lehniner Platz; set design

2018

Ausser Sich (based on the novel by Sasha Marianna Salzmann)

directed by Sebastian Nübling, Gorki Theater Berlin; set design;

Yes But No (Yael Ronen & ensemble)

directed by Yael Ronen, Gorki Theater Berlin; set design;

Die Letzten (Maxim Gorki)

directed by András Dömötör, Gorki Theater Berlin; set design;

Germania (Heiner Müller/Alexander Raskatov)

directed by John Fulljames, Opéra Lyon; set design;

A Walk On The Dark Side (Yael Ronen & ensemble)

directed by Yael Ronen, Gorki Theater Berlin; set design;

2017

Nach uns das All (Sibylle Berg)

directed by Sebastian Nübling, Gorki Theater Berlin; set design;

Skelett eines Elefanten in der Wüste (Ayham Majid Agha)

directed by Ayham Majid Agha, Studio YA at Gorki Theater Berlin; co-set design with Shahrzad Rahmani;

Cat On A Hot Tin Roof (Tennessee Williams)

directed by Benedict Andrews, a Young Vic Production at the Apollo Theatre London; set design;

Get Deutsch or Die Tryin‘ (Necati Öziri)

directed by Sebastian Nübling, Gorki Theater Berlin; set design;

Winterreise (Yael Ronen & company)

directed by Yael Ronen, Gorki Theater Berlin; set design;

2016

Denial (Yael Ronen & Ensemble)

directed by Yael Ronen, Gorki Theater Berlin; set design;

Meteoriten (Sasha Marianna Salzmann)

directed by Hakan Savas Mican, Gorki Theater; set design;

2015

In unserem Namen (project based on Die Schutzbefohlenen by Elfriede Jelinek and Die Schutzflehenden by Aischylos)

directed by Sebastian Nübling & Lars Wittershagen, Gorki Theater Berlin; set design;

Und dann kam Mirna (Sybille Berg)

directed by Sebastian Nübling, Gorki Theater Berlin; set design;

Schnee (Hakan Savas Mican after Orhan Pamuk)

directed by Hakan Savas Mican, Gorki Theater Berlin; set co-design with Cleo Niemeyer;

2014

Entertaining Mr Sloane (Joe Orton)

directed by Nurkan Erpulat, Gorki Theater Berlin; set design;

Erotic Crisis (Yael Ronen & Ensemble)

directed by Yael Ronen, Gorki Theater Berlin; Bühne;

A Streetcar Named Desire (Tennessee Williams)

directed by Benedict Andrews, Young Vic Theatre London, 2014; also presented at St Ann’s Warehouse, Brooklyn, NYC, 2016; set design;

Common Ground (Yael Ronen & Ensemble)

directed by Yael Ronen, Gorki Theater Berlin; set design;

Kein schöner Land (devised show)

directed by Ruud Gielens, Gorki Theater Berlin; set design;

2013

Es sagt mir nichts, das sogenannte Draussen (Sybille Berg)

directed by Sebastian Nübling, Gorki Theater Berlin; set design;

Der Russe ist einer, der Birken liebt (Olga Grjasnowa)

directed by Yael Ronen, Gorki Theater Berlin; set design;

Der Kirschgarten (Anton Chekhov)

directed by Nurkan Erpulat, Gorki Theater Berlin; Bühne;

American Lulu (opera by Olga Neuwirth)

directed by John Fulljames, a co-production of The Opera Group and the Young Vic Theatre London, International Festival Edinburgh and Festspielhaus Bregenz; set and costumes;

Notizen aus der Kueche (Rodrigo Garcia)

directed by Patrick Wengenroth, Schaubühne am Lehniner Platz, Berlin; set and costumes;

Kasimir und Karoline (Ödön von Horvath)

directed by Nurkan Erpulat, Schauspielhaus Düsseldorf; set design;

2012

Das Tapfere Schneiderlein (opera by Wolfgang Mitterer)

directed by Max von Mayenburg, Staatsoper Berlin Studiobühne; set design;

Richard III (William Shakespeare)

directed by Roger Vontobel, Schauspielhaus Bochum; set design;

Kinder der Sonne (Maxim Gorki)

directed by Nurkan Erpulat, Volkstheater Wien; Bühne;

Der Zerbrochne Krug (Heinrich von Kleist)

directed by Roger Vontobel, Staatschauspiel Dresden; set design;

Käthchen von Heilbronn (Heinrich von Kleist)

directed by Ingo Berk, Hans Otto Theater Potsdam; set and costumes;

2011

The Day before the Last Day (devised show)

directed by Yael Ronen, Schaubühne am Lehniner Platz, Berlin; set and costume design;

Der Ring des Nibelungen for children (opera by Richard Wagner)

directed by Max von Mayenburg, Studiobühne der Bayreuther Festspiele; set design;

Das Schloss (Franz Kafka)

directed by Nurkan Erpulat, Deutsches Theater Berlin/Ruhrtriennale; set design;

Hexenjagd (Arthur Miller)

directed by Ingo Berk, Hans Otto Theater Potsdam; set and costume design;

Zwei (devised show)

devised by Turbo Pascal, Hebbel am Ufer Berlin; set and costumes;

2010

Aufzeichnungen aus dem Kellerloch (Fjodor Dostojewski)

directed by Egill Palsson, Schaubühne am Lehniner Platz, Berlin; set and costume design;

Punk Rock (Simon Stephens)

directed by Sebastian Nübling, Junges Theater Basel; set and costume design;

Verruecktes Blut (Nurkan Erpulat and Jens Hillje)

directed by Nurkan Erpulat, Ruhrtriennale/Ballhaus Naunynstrasse Berlin, invited to Theatertreffen 2011; set and costume design;

Onkel Wanja (Anton Chekhov)

directed by Ingo Berk, Schauspielhaus Graz; set and costume design;

Don Carlos (Friedrich Schiller)

directed by Roger Vontobel, Staatsschauspiel Dresden, invited to Theatertreffen 2011; set design;

Gerettet (Edward Bond)

directed by Benedict Andrews, Schaubühne am Lehniner Platz, Berlin; set and costume design;

2009

Fräulein Julie (August Strindberg)

directed by Ingo Berk, Hans Otto Theater Potsdam; set and costume design;

Ich bin nicht wirklich die Gefahr (devised show)

devised by Turbo Pascal, Sophiensääle Berlin; set and costume design;

Dear Wendy (Lars von Trier)

directed by Sebastian Nübling, Theater Basel/Junges Theater Basel; set design;

Endstation Sehnsucht (Tennessee Williams)

directed by Benedict Andrews, Schaubühne am Lehniner Platz, Berlin; set and costume design;

Kritische Masse (Oliver Bukowski)

directed by Sebastian Nübling, Schauspielhaus Hamburg; set and costume design;

2008

Wir werden wieder wer gewesen sein (devised show)

devised by Turbo Pascal, Schaubühne am Lehniner Platz, Berlin; set and costume design;

Der Hund, die Nacht und das Messer (Marius von Mayenburg)

directed by Benedict Andrews, Schaubühne am Lehniner Platz, Berlin; set and costume design;

Die Stadt/Der Schnitt (Martin Crimp/Mark Ravenhill)

directed by Thomas Ostermeier, Schaubühne am Lehniner Platz, Berlin; set co-design with Jan Pappelbaum;

2007

Betrunken genug zu sagen ich liebe dich? (Caryl Churchill)

directed by Benedict Andrews, Schaubühne am Lehniner Platz, Berlin; set and costume design;

Tommy (Thor Bjorn Krebs)

directed by Benedikt Haubrich, Schaubühne am Lehniner Platz, Berlin; set and costume design;

Stoning Mary (Debbie Tucker Green)

directed by Benedict Andrews, Schaubühne am Lehniner Platz; set and costume design;

Der Hässliche (Marius von Mayenburg)

directed by Benedict Andrews, Schaubühne am Lehniner Platz, Berlin; set design;

2006

Kebab (Giannina Carbunariu)

directed by Enrico Stolzenburg, Schaubühne am Lehniner Platz, Berlin; set design;

Liebe ist nur eine Möglichkeit (Christoph Nussbaumeder)

directed by Thomas Ostermeier, Schaubühne am Lehniner Platz, Berlin; set co-design with Jan Pappelbaum;

Augusta (Richard Dresser)

directed by Rafael Sanchez, Schaubühne am Lehniner Platz; set co-design with Jan Pappelbaum;

Augenlicht (Marius von Mayenburg)

directed by Ingo Berk, Schaubühne am Lehniner Platz, Berlin; set co-design with Jan Pappelbaum;

Tanzmarathon, project of Die Zwiefachen (devised show)

directed by Uta Plate, Schaubühne am Lehniner Platz, Berlin; set and costume design;

2005

Blackbird (David Harrower)

directed by Benedict Andrews, Schaubühne am Lehniner Platz, Berlin; costume design; set co-design with Jan Pappelbaum;

Distanz (Lars Noren)

directed by Enrico Stolzenburg, Schaubühne am Lehniner Platz, Berlin; costumes; set co-design with Jan Pappelbaum;

Gang a Bong Get it On, project by Die Zwiefachen (devised show)

directed by Uta Plate, Schaubühne am Lehniner Platz, Berlin; set and costume design;