I had supper with Jesus Christ last night. Nice guy. Hope it’s not our last supper together.
Jesus, a.k.a. actor Frederik Mayet, was in Toronto promoting the next production of the world’s longest-running play, The Passion Play of Oberammergau, which has been performed every 10 years for the past 400 years in that tiny German Alpine hamlet. The first performance was 1634.
The curtain rises on the next Passion Play in 2020 and Oberammergau and the German National Tourist Office in Toronto are gearing up for an onslaught of fans – upwards of 450,000 people from around the world are expected to descend on Oberammergau for the mega stage production, which will take place from May 16 to October 4, 2020.
Mayet played Jesus in the 2010 production but still doesn’t know if he’ll get the starring role again. That decision will be made by The Passion Play director Christian Stückl, who accompanied Mayet to Toronto for a press conference last night.
The director talked passionately about the 2020 production and the dedication needed to stage such a gigantic event, which involves only the townsfolk of Oberammergau – population about 8,000.
“Only people born in Oberammergau or those who have lived there for more than 20 years can perform in The Passion Play,” says Stückl, who grew up in the small Bavarian town very close to the world-renowned ski area of Garmisch-Partenkirchen.
Because the town is made up of 90 per cent Catholics, it’s never hard to find volunteer actors but Stückl says every citizen gets involved. “We even have a Muslim cast member.”
The Passion Play recounts Jesus’s suffering, death and resurrection. The crucifixion scene required Mayet to hang on the Cross for five hours during each lengthy performance.
“We used a series of hidden harnesses to help me complete the scene,” says Mayet, who appears to be hoping he’ll be chosen again for the gruelling role.
The area around Oberammergau is one of the most picturesque in Germany and is home to some of the country’s fairy tale castles, like Neuschwanstein and Linderhof – well worth a trip for that alone.
Tickets, as you can imagine, are in high demand, so if you’re interested in attending, get in touch with the German National Tourist Office: http://www.germany.travel/ca/