David Bowie (Feb–Mar 1982) Bowie Is Baal – Radio Times

A Radio Times cover announcing David Bowie’s starring role in the BBC1 production of Bertolt Brecht’s Baal, coinciding with the release of his Baal EP and marking a striking return to theatrical performance.

Writer: Radio Times Editorial

Artist: David Bowie

Date: 27 February – 5 March 1982

Length: 4 min read

The cover presents Bowie in full character as Brecht’s Baal, photographed holding a banjo — a prop central to the production’s musical interludes. The image captures Bowie’s transformation into the anarchic poet, reflecting his immersion in Brecht’s world of expressionist theatre. The feature coincided with the release of the Baal EP, recorded in Berlin with Tony Visconti, and represented Bowie’s final new release for RCA before signing with EMI.

PUBLICATION

Publication: Radio Times

Date: 27 February – 5 March 1982

Country: United Kingdom

Section / Pages: Cover Feature

Title: Bowie Is Baal

FEATURE HIGHLIGHTS

Event: BBC1 production of Bertolt Brecht’s Baal

Era: 1982 – Early 1980s theatrical period

Tone: Dramatic, introspective, and artistic

Photography: Bowie in character holding a banjo

Audience: UK television viewers and Bowie enthusiasts

“Bowie is Baal.”

THE STORY BEHIND IT

In early 1982, David Bowie returned to theatre through the BBC’s televised adaptation of Brecht’s Baal. Having rehearsed since August 1981, Bowie embraced the role’s moral ambiguity and poetic intensity. The Radio Times cover announced his transformation, bridging his musical and theatrical identities. The accompanying Baal EP featured five songs from the production, recorded at Hansa Studios in Berlin, and served as Bowie’s farewell to RCA before his move to EMI.

WHAT THE CLIPPING SHOWS

Event: Promotion of Bowie’s BBC1 performance in Baal

Era: 1982

Tone: Reflective and theatrical

Photography: Bowie in character with banjo

Audience: Radio Times readers and BBC viewers

CONTEXT AND NOTES

This cover stands as one of Bowie’s most iconic early‑1980s magazine appearances, merging his visual identity with his theatrical ambition. It symbolises his return to performance art and his enduring fascination with Brechtian expressionism. The issue’s timing aligned precisely with the Baal EP release, reinforcing the synergy between television and record promotion

“David Bowie stars in BBC1’s production of Bertolt Brecht’s Baal.”

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SOURCES

Radio Times (27 February – 5 March 1982)

Publication verified from archival issue records

Context cross‑checked with discography and press documentation

External anchors: Discogs / Wikipedia (where applicable)

COPYRIGHT NOTICE

All magazine scans, photographs, and original text excerpts remain the property of their respective copyright holders. This Chronicle entry is a transformative, non‑commercial archival summary created for historical documentation and educational reference. No ownership of the original material is claimed or implied.

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