| Oberammergau Passion Play 2010 |
 In 1633 the Bavarian village of Oberammergau was gripped by war, poverty and plague. The villagers vowed that if they survived, they would perform a ‘passion play’ re-enacting the life, death and resurrection of Jesus Christ. The first performance took place in 1634 and for more than three centuries the people of Oberammergau have kept their word. Every ten years the villagers devote a year of their lives to the production of the Oberammergau Passion Play. This year there will be 102 performances between May and September. The play starts at 2.30pm and, including a  three-hour interval, ends at 10.30pm. The opening scenes show Jesus entering Jerusalem, continue with his death on the cross and finish with the resurrection. All the performers, over 2,000 in total, were either born in or have lived in the village for more than 20 years. They all have ordinary jobs. For example in real life ‘Jesus’ is a psychologist and ‘Mary Magdalene’ works as a flight attendant. Rehearsals take place in the year running up to the play. The men of the village have to promise not to cut their hair for the duration in order to ‘look the part’. Two actors will take it in turn to perform the role of Jesus. One is much taller than the other so a larger cross has been made for him during the crucifixion scene to take account of his extra height. These scenes are particularly physically demanding of the actors. The script has varied over the centuries and a new adaption has been written for  the 2010 play. By taking on their roles in the Passion Play, the villagers are fulfilling the promise to God made by their ancestors, celebrating their faith and sharing it with the world. Over half a million people are expected to see the play this year. You can read more about the play on the website www.passionplay-oberammergau.com |
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