Tagora Our good friend, Hans-Jürgen Bartsch, died on 1 August 2025. He was the Godfather of Tagora; he took part in our creation and served as Treasurer for the first years of the society’s existence. More importantly, he was its lifelong friend.
HJ was a senior legal official of the Council of Europe but what distinguished him was his passionate love of the theatre. He loved the theatre; for decades he wrote reviews of productions in Paris, London and Berlin for the magazine Plays and Players. His knowledge was deep, his circle of friends was wide and his criticism was rigorous.
His interest in Tagora never diminished: he was a faithful attender and critic. Tagora directors, knowing that HJ was ‘in the house’, could not rest until he had delivered his opinion. In giving it, he made no concessions: the same standards applied to us as to the professional companies he reviewed.
That we shall no longer benefit from his opinions, his advice and – for so many of us – his friendship, is a great sadness. We send our sympathy to Dianne and her family.
