Barrie Kosky Set for Melbourne Theatre Company's NEON Festival, 20 July

Following his triumphant second season at Komishe Oper in Berlin, Barrie Kosky returns to hometown Melbourne for a star turn in Melbourne Theatre Company's NEON Festival of Independent Theatre at 2pm Sunday 20 July at Southbank Theatre.

Presented by Melbourne Theatre Company in association with Melbourne Conversations, City of Melbourne's program of free talks, Barrie Kosky will appear exclusively in MTC's NEON Extra inaugural keynote conversation with ABC Arts critic Alison Croggon to start a public discussion ranging across his work in Europe and contemporary Australian culture.

Barrie Kosky is the Intendant and Chef Regisseur of the Komische Oper Berlin. At the end of his first season the Komische Oper was voted Opera House of the Year by 50 international opera journalists. Barrie Kosky's work in Berlin has included The Monteverdi Trilogy, The Magic Flute, Ball im Savoy, Rusalka, Iphigenie in Tauris, Kiss Me, Kate, Rigoletto, The Marriage of Figaro, Seven Deadly Sins, West Side Story and Le Grand Macabre.

He has directed productions for the Bayerischer Staatsoper Munich, Berlin Staatsoper Unter den Linden, Netherlands Opera, Oper Frankfurt, Los Angeles Opera, English National Opera, Vienna Staatsoper, Oper Graz, Staatsoper Hannover, Aaalto Oper Essen, Deutsches Theater Berlin and Schauspielhaus Frankfurt.

Barrie Kosky was Artistic Director of the Schauspielhaus Vienna from 2001-2005, Artistic Director of the 1996 Adelaide Festival and has directed opera and theatre productions for Opera Australia, Sydney Theatre Company, Melbourne Theatre Company and the Sydney and Melbourne International Festivals.