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Oberammergau 2010
Against the backdrop of the Bavarian Alps, Jesus Christ hangs upon the cross as a crowd of thousands looks on. Such is the scene re-enacted at ten-year intervals in the Bavarian village of Oberammergau, scene of the world-famous Passion Play, writes Andrew Stucken
In 2010 the play will again be performed, maintaining a tradition which stretches back to 1634. At that time the bubonic plague was ravaging Europe. In 1633 the villagers had sworn that if God prevented any more deaths there, they would for the rest of their lives perform a play depicting the life and death of Jesus Christ.
Miraculously, the plague claimed no more victims in Oberammergau and the people stayed true to their word. Not only that, the play became such a tradition that 2010 sees its 41st staging. A real theatrical extravaganza, it lasts six hours in all, with a three-hour break for dinner.
It depicts the final week in the life of Jesus, and every single person connected with the production is drawn from this one small town, near Garmisch-Partenkirchen on the Austrian border. At the last staging of the play in 2000, that amounted to more than 2,200 people out of a population of just 5,350.
The whole performance is thoroughly professional and the costuming vivid. Scenes of related Old Testament events are presented in tableaux vivants - with motionless actors accompanied by verbal description. The play contains non-biblical events alongside the biblical, imagining what the characters might have said, in the manner of a TV docu-drama.
It all combines to produce a real feast for the audience and the experience is as much a pilgrimage as theatrical, with the play set firmly in the context of the Christian faith.
More recently the text of the play has undergone considerable revision to counter charges of anti-Semitism. For example, Jesus is addressed as 'rabbi' rather than 'master' while Judas is portrayed as a more complex figure than is customary.
Traditionally Passion Plays, representing the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ, were staged all over medieval Europe on Good Friday. This modern version operates for five months of the year, from May to October, every day except Mondays and Wednesdays.
The original Passion Play performance was held over the graves of the Black Death victims. The tradition continued until 1820, when a stage was constructed on the site of the present day theatre. In 1930 theatre seating was built around the open-air stage to accommodate 5,200 spectators. A further upgrade in 1999 left 4,720 covered seats.
Upwards of 500,000 visitors are expected for the 2010 performances.
Photo: Oberammergau Tourismus