What happens if the animals escape from the Hellabrunn Zoo in Munich? Police officers might shoot a bear in the Englischer Garten and a rhinoceros might be run over by subway line 4. This is one of the remarkable findings of an evening at the theater that leaves one quite perplexed. It’s not about Guillermo Calderón working with the most absurdly grotesque. Rather, the humor flattens out pretty quickly.
His play Bavaria, which he created for the Residenztheater and which premiered under his direction in the Marstall, deals with a highly explosive topic. The theater maker from Chile would like to come to terms with the German-Chilean colonial history, and as is well known, there is a lot of catching up to do. The title refers to the Colonia Dignidad founded in 1961 by Paul Schäfer. It became “Villa Baviera” in 1991.
In this horror colony, Schäfer had raped countless boys and young men. In addition, during Pinochet’s military dictatorship, torture and murder were allowed in his fortress. This Bavaria becomes even more horrible when Miene Costa cheerfully yodels out of the auditorium. In general, folklore and songs form a central leitmotif of the evening – or rather: suffering motif?
Calderón has six women appear in a room. Decorated by Sophia Sylvester Röpcke, it looks like a booth where yoga is practiced and yogi tea is drunk. Of course, ethno-spiritual incense sticks should not be missing. As is well known, there is a lot of chattering and singing in such groups, with the audience being encouraged to join in by Mareike Beykirch as Lina.
“No beautiful country” is included or songs from Upper Bavaria, garnished with songs in Spanish or in Paraguayan Guarani. It could be wonderfully comfortable if Eva von Barbara Horvath didn’t reveal her dark secret. She killed her husband, at least that’s how it could have been. He fell from a chairlift and was lying on his back in the snow when Eva’s cell phone fell. It pierces his neck.
All pretty weird
In contrast, Anna Bardavelidze as Charlotte is constantly busy calling on God, who prefers to remain silent. Of course, the narrative also includes Nazis who fled to South America after the Second World War. Elisabeth Förster-Nietzsche shouldn’t be left out either: the philosopher’s sister was a co-founder of “Nueva Germania” in Paraguay. In this strange settlement, the Aryan race should be protected.
For Karola von Katja Jung it is clear that South America is the right place for the sextet. She brought along the crazy Franka (Lisa Stiegler) to support her. The anti-vaccination Maria from Barbara Melzl thinks the idea is great at first. However, there is a problem with the hippos. They don’t exist in South America, but drug lord Pablo Escobar had a private zoo. From there they piled up and are now looking for the Nile. They are currently in Paraguay.
It’s all pretty weird, and you need strong nerves to get through this deliberately confusing evening at the theatre. Or one cultivates a wonderfully dry sense of humor like Melzl: listening and watching her Maria is sheer joy. She saves this piece. (Marco Frei)
