8:50am Saturday 9th January 2010
A COUPLE of Saturdays ago, I was lucky enough to find myself wandering around a beautiful Bavarian village.
I was in Oberammergau, an hour’s drive south of Munich, surrounded by peaks daubed with snow.
The sunshine made it feel more like a spring day in Bolton, although the village shops and colourful houses clad in their frescos of scenes from fairy stories and nursery rhymes told me I wasn’t.
The village is a delight — spotless, full of atmosphere and welcoming.
The locals are friendly and, in some cases, hairy! The decidedly long hair and big beards of many local chaps was puzzling. What was going on?
I first noticed “the hair” when the coach picked us from Munich Airport to take us to Oberammergau. We thought the driver was Father Christmas himself. But after a few hours in the village, you notice young and old with the overflowing locks.
The hairy chaps (including our coach driver) are, in fact, all actors in this year’s world-renowned Passion Play, performed once every 10 years. And some 2,500 of the village's 5,000 or so population will be taking part.
Eighteen months before curtain up, all the actors (the men, that is) pledge not to cut their hair or shave as no wigs or false bears are allowed in the production.
The play is gradually overtaking the village as the next production looms in May and it really is a “village event” as all the actors, musicians, production crew, stage hands, seamstresses etc were either born in Oberammergau or have lived in the village for 20 years. But don’t be fooled by the “village” tag — it may be a million miles from “showbusiness” but it is bigger than any West End or Broadway production by a country mile.
Rehearsals are now well underway and I was invited to the village to be given the history of the play and a behind-the-scenes tour of the impressive Passion Play Theatre.
But the story of the Passion Play, which has crossed the divide from religious experience to cultural wonder, is even more impressive. Its origins go back to the 17th century when plague killed thousands in the region, including 80 villagers in Oberammergau. After months of suffering, the villagers pledged to perform a passion play if the deaths stopped. They did and at Whitsun, in 1634, the villagers fulfilled their promise and have done so virtually every 10 years since.
By the mid-18th century, spectators were already travelling from all over Germany to Oberammergau, attracted by the power and fascination of the play and this year 500,000 visitors from all over the world will watch the 100-plus performances between May and October.
Our “guide” for the passion play theatre tour was Otto Huber, a man born in the village and who has performed in many of the plays. He is now an assistant director and steeped in the history and tradition of the play.
The theatre seats almost 5,000 people, and each gets a perfect view of the large stage which is open to the elements and with a glorious backdrop formed by the impressive mountains. More than once, the actors have braved snow and storms during rehearsals and the five-hour long production itself.
The backstage visit revealed just how much time and effort goes into the production, with an army of villagers working away building new props and designing and creating costumes. A new crucifix is currently being constructed to “fit” the 2010 Jesus Christ whom we bumped into backstage in his casual jacket, denims and scarf plus, of course, long hair and sprouting beard — well, he is only a young chap.
The effort and time which goes in to producing the passion play is unbelievable but when you are working on something so huge, with truly worldwide appeal, then second best is not an option.
One can only admire the villagers for their total commitment to The Passion Play.
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