GERMAN HOMEPAGE

EVENTS

German Play 2011

The Catholic Circus by Francesca Hedges

German PlayEach year the German Department stages a play but previously by the likes of Dürrenmatt or other famous playwrights. This year they decided to stage a play written by Francesca Hedges, a Fourth Year Student: ‘der katholische Zirkus’. The play was sponsored by the Austrian Cultural Institute and Deutscher Akademischer Austausch Dienst.

Auditions were held and first and second year students chosen to act, with Edith Kreutner, Wolfgang Jäger directing the play. Both Edith and Wolfgang gave up enormous amounts of time to ensure that the play was a success, devoting lessons to each individual actor and actress for pronunciation classes.

German Play

 

Rehearsals began before Christmas and became more and more entertaining as the months went on and the cast got to grips very quickly with their characters. One particular highlight of the process was the stark transformation from students to members of the Catholic clergy in our dress rehearsal! Professional photographs were taken of the cast, a wonderful poster for the play produced by a student and the entire performance filmed.

The play was held for two nights in March in the theatre of Clifton High School and the support amongst members of staff in the German department, students, family and friends was incredibly strong. ‘Der katholische Zirkus’ has received a lot of attention, appearing in student papers and on the Bristol News pages. All involved had an immense amount of fun and friendships were forged whilst improving German language skills. Both performances were a roaring success and a great credit to all involved.

German PlayHere is a synopsis of the play:

The Catholic Church in the Middle Ages was a like a harlot: ready to sell her beauty to anybody who could pay.  Bishops were sleeping with prostitutes, drinking in taverns and struggling themselves to read the Latin Bible. The Church was drenched in wealth and squeezed its impoverished congregation of every ducat they were worth. ‘The Catholic Circus’ is a satirical play depicting corruption within the Catholic Church in which Martin Luther, leader of the Protestant Reformation, cries out against these injustices. The Church was reaping the rewards from a roaring business plan by promising salvation in return for money, ‘a coin in the coffer that rings, a soul from purgatory springs’ was a popular saying at the time. Arriving on his pet elephant, Pope Leo X drops by on an indulgence sermon, given by his aggressive little greedy puppet ‘Tetzel’. Instead of comprehending that his Church is cracking at the foundations, he salivates over young boy gymnasts, allows his lion to eat the congregation’s money and dresses up as a juggler. Unrecognisable, he gets pushed into the confession box... and who does he meet there for question time? None other than Martin Luther. Gloves are off Leo, and so are your papal vestments. Amen to that.