Wo? Wenn nicht alle da! / That’s the Way to do it!
This was a festival dedicated to a true European.
He pops up all across the continent, and possesses such an extraordinary ability to absorb distinctive regional traits that everyone claims “He’s one of us!” But actually, he’s a very widely traveled master of amusing mayhem whose roots extend throughout Europe and beyond. His name is Kasperl (Austria), Kasper (Germany), Mr. Punch (UK), Pulcinella (Italy), Vitéz Lázló (Hungary), Guignol (France) and Don Cristobal (Spain), to cite just a few.
This cheeky little headbanger is actually a centuries-old theatrical tradition. But because long traditions have a tendency to get venerable, stiff and awkward, Linz09 commissioned four companies—maschek (Austria), Guyla Molnàr (Hungary/Italy), Hans-Jochen Menzel (Germany) and Neville Tranter (Australia/Netherlands)—to each design a Punch & Judy Show expressly for the Capital of Culture. You might say that the intention was to put the quarrelsome cudgel-swinger to the test and find out whether he can still dish it out, or if his brand of lusty anarchy just doesn’t strike the right note anymore.
These four productions were the core of the festival. Arrayed about them was an interesting selection of plays, each with its own take on the fascinating tradition of this genre and each bringing in it own fresh, poetic, critical, contemporary approach to theatrics.
Almost 2,000 theatergoers came to enjoy the funny, bizarre and occasionally morbid antics of this chameleon-like grand old man of the theater.
WHAT // Theater festival
WHEN // November 11-21, 2009
WHERE // Hafenhalle09
Gyula Molnàr (HU/IT): KASPERL’S ROOTS
Kasperl’s ROOTS: Kasperl’s grandmother has died. Kasperl is inconsolable, loses his appetite and wants to die too. He travels to the underworld to bring his grandmother back so that she can bake him cakes again but death bars his way at the entrance to Hades. No one may enter alive. They fight, Kasperl finally dies and is allowed in. In the kingdom of the dead he finds his grandmother but she has no wish to return to the stove. Kasperl hits her over the head with a log, throws her over his shoulder and sets off. Kasperl does not know that the way back is dangerous: you must never look back, otherwise you will be frozen into a pillar of salt, or stone, or marble, or... something very, very hard. Of course Kasperl turns round, freezes, grows roots and turns into a tree stump. His grandmother wakes up, sees his misfortune and sheds bitter tears. But Death consoles her.
Gyula Molnàr, a middle-sized middle-European, was born in 1950 in Budapest and has lived from in and with the theatre since 1976 as an author, performer, director and occasional designer and graphic artist.
WHEN // 14 and 15 Nov 09
WHERE // Hafenhalle09, 9.30 pm
Category: Festival, Theatre
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