25 FEBRUARY 2006, Page 31

Polyglot Peter

From Michael Henderson

Sir: Toby Young wonders (Theatre, 18 February) whether Peter Stein, the great German director responsible for the production of David Harrower’s play, Blackbird, can speak English.

Had he taken the trouble to find out anything about this regular visitor to our country — Stein has virtually set up camp at the Edinburgh Festival for the past dozen years — he would know that this remarkable man converses freely in four languages. English is his third tongue.

Michael Henderson London W13