Rob was in the Christmas Shop examining woodcarvings, Barry further up the street looking at jackets. I was leaning against the museum wall on the opposite side of the road trying to keep an eye on both of them so that Rob knew where we were.

Then, without warning, a veritable tsunami of people swamped the Dorfstrasse, Oberammergau’s main street, and I lost sight of both of them. It was 17.15 and the beginning of the supper interval of the 41st Oberammergau Passion Play. Two and a half hours later a blast of music was to ring out over the Bavarian village reminding the audience of 4,700 people that the second part of the play was just about to start.


A scene from the play

The play came into being as the result of a pledge to God in 1633 that the villagers would perform a play depicting the suffering, death and resurrection of Jesus Christ every 10 years. Plague had been sweeping through the region and many people had died, including a number from Oberammergau. From that day on no more villagers died. The first play was performed the following year over the graves of the plague victims in the cemetery of the parish church. Over the decades millions of people have flocked to watch the villagers keep their vow to God and the play now takes place in a huge purpose built theatre.


The Crucifixion scene

I had visited and wondered at the magnificent theatre a number of times on visits to Bavaria but it was only in summer 2009 on a trip to Oberammergau, to learn more about the history of the play and meet some of the cast, that I made up my mind to return and see an actual performance. One of the things that impressed me so much when talking to the cast was their commitment, enthusiasm and passion for their play. The thought of not being involved in it could not be contemplated.


The frescoed houses of Oberammergau

And so it was that a year later I was standing in the Dorfstrasse watching for my friends. We had arrived in the village a couple of hours earlier and set out to explore the shops and photograph the frescoed houses. In one of the gift shops I recognised Andrea Hecht, who was one of this year’s two Marys. (The principal parts are double-cast.) I asked her if she was tired. ‘Not physically,’ she replied, ‘but emotionally, yes’. Further on I spotted Otto Huber, owner of a guesthouse and one of the two Prologue speakers and second director, being interviewed. Two of the crowd players were waiters in our hotel. The male members of the cast are easily recognisable – their hair has to be long and the beards real and so every wood carving shop we visited men with long hair and beards greeted us and many young boys also had shoulder length hair.


Jesus and Judas

As Otto Huber states: ‘the Passion is alive only because participants bring it to life through their own personal commitment’ – and what a commitment. Orchestra rehearsals had begun some eight months earlier, closely followed by those for the main actors and crowd players who rehearse in bitter winter conditions on the open stage; to say nothing of the set painters and builders, seamstresses and prop makers. Though not involved in the play, the owner of the nearby Theatre Café has created a special (and I have to say, quite delicious) Passiontorte. Just about half the 5,200 villagers are directly involved with the play – they have to have been born in the village or have lived there for 20 years.

The next morning, before our early lunch (the play started at 14.30), we visited the Oberammergau museum celebrating its 100th birthday this year. Along side its amazing display of nativity scenes it also featured an exhibition about the history of the Passion Play.


Frederik Mayet played Jesus

As we approached the theatre the music we had heard the day before reminded us to hurry along to find our seats in the 4,700-seat auditorium. The play, performed in German, was easy to follow thanks to the Textbook programme written in both English and German. This year’s text had been specifically revised to try and develop the relationship and conflict involving Jesus and Judas, and was very well portrayed. Interwoven with the story of Christ’s passion the tableaux vivants were accompanied by music, depicting scenes from the Old Testament.


Barbara Dobner played Mary Magdalene

It is an amazing production, and difficult to believe that it is not performed by professional actors, singers and musicians. The famous crowd scenes are incredibly dramatic with up to 1,000 participants appearing on the huge stage. Apart from the 21 principal parts there are 800 adult crowd participants and 200 children. In some scenes some of the 50 animals – a donkey, two camels, a horse, sheep, goats and doves – also appear on stage. During the tableaux vivant scenes up to 100 choir members with 10 solo singers perform, accompanied by 56 orchestra members. I thought it a charming touch for the orchestra (some of them in their early teens) carrying their instruments, to walk across the stage and down into their orchestra pit.

Luckily we had been warned that with Oberammergau being at an altitude of some 800 metres and having an open stage it could be cold in the evening. The second half of the play (after a two and a half hour dinner interval) runs from 20.00 to 22.30. We were cold in spite of our layers. I cannot begin to imagine how cold Frederik Mayet (who so sensitively and movingly played Christ that night) along with the two criminals were, as they ‘hung’ on the crosses for some 15–20 minutes clad only in loincloths. The play ends with Mary Magdalen joyously proclaiming that Christ is risen and the choir triumphantly singing their own Hallelujah chorus. The whole production was an amazing tour de force.

There is still time to see the 2010 Oberammergau Passion Play as it continues until 5 October. But if you can’t get there this year make a mental note to be there at the next production of the Play in 2020. I certainly hope to be there.

Visit www.passionsspiele2010.de. Our accommodation and theatre seats were booked for us by Medway Travel Ltd www.medwaytravel.co.uk