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
HANS-JOCHEN MENZEL (DE): WOMEN’S PUNCH
WOMEN’S PUNCH: Once there was a militant Punch – all very well. But Mr Stenzel, who always performed him and the other puppets all by himself, forgot himself so much in his role as a lecherous, drunken bighead, full of bad jokes and specious chauvinism, that he sank into it like a swamp. And his Punch stories for the dear children which started off perfectly normal became harsher and harsher, though still relatively harmless. Despite or maybe because of this his stories remained very popular.
So he and the ladies at his call, Mrs Stenzel and the trainee Jeanette, continue to travel around until one fine day in the middle of a play right in front of the children’s eyes an electric shock unexpectedly sends the master into a deep coma. For the sakes of the watching children Mrs Stenzel tries together with the trainee to take matters in hand and finish off Punch’s story. However, the unconscious Mr Stenzel is still holding Punch, whom he was performing, in an iron grip! Things become difficult. The puppets make themselves independent. And still the master does not wake up.
Then something terrible happens: the soul of Punch rises out of Stenzel’s inert flesh and demands fulfilment. Does this mean Mr Stenzel is dead? Everything gets tangled up inextricably in itself and no-one ever suspected just how terrible a soul like this can be. But the trainee and Mrs Stenzel know this: Punch cannot and must not die and his soul must never fall victim to the devil – even if the sun turns into a red dwarf.
Will these women become heroines, rescuing life and bringing order to chaos or will they lose everything?
Hans-Jochen Menzel, a life-long puppetry student and enthusiast, created his own plays for theatres and for the drama school where he teaches. His work has been awarded numerous national and international prizes.
Production // Paradox Fusion & Menzel
Play // Susanne Olbrich, Stephanie Rinke und Hans-Jochen Menzel
Puppets // Susanne Olbrich und Christian Werdin
Stage // Ensemble
WHEN // 17 and 18 Nov 09
WHERE // Hafenhalle09, 7.30 pm
Category: Festival, Theatre
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