So after not getting any dinner, just Pringles, I woke up at 03:18, slightly hungry but that passed. Still didn't get back to sleep til nearly 05:00 though.
Got ourselves ready and raced into the breakfast room just before it opened so we could make ourselves some breakfast to take with us. Out the door at about 08:15.
It rained all the way to Oberammergau.
Neuschwanstein castle
Photo by Mum
St Coloman church
Photo by Mum
Dumped the car and our bags and walked into town so we could listen to the welcome talk by Abdullah Kenan Karaca, who is the deputy director and also plays Nicodemus. That was quite interesting. The main cast (twenty roles all with two actors each) have their early rehearsals in Israel so they can go to all the locations. Pretty much anyone in town is allowed to participate if they want to, although not everyone will be on stage - there's still all the behind the scenes work as well. They do allow orchestra members and the soloists to be from outside of town though. This year they had about 1800 people from the town participating (down from 2300 it would have been in 2020).
Pretty building in Oberammergau
Oberammergau Passionstheater
Interior of the Passionstheater
Abdullah Kenan Karaca, the deputy director and also plays Nicodemus
Interior of the Passionstheater
Stage of the Passionstheater
Interior of the Passionstheater
Next we had a look at the Oberammergau Museum. I was expecting it to have more on the history of the play, but other than a few costumes, it was just some exhibitions of things like religious dioramas, wooden toys, crucifixes, and a special exhibition on "fabric". Didn't spend long there.
Oberammergau Museum
Oberammergau Museum
Costumes from a previous Passion Play
Costumes from a previous Passion Play
The Last Supper
The Nativity
Wood carving
The Last Supper
Crucifixes
Costumes from a previous Passion Play
Wandered around town looking for something for lunch. Found a bakery and ended up getting a couple of slices of pies - a chunky rustic apple pie and a raspberry cheesecake.
Cute building in Oberammergau and Bavarian Alps
Took our cake back to the hotel and checked in and moved our bags into our room. Then ate our lunch downstairs.
Hotel Alte Post in Oberammergau
Pretty building in Oberammergau
The Ammer River and Bavarian Alps
Walked back to the theatre and joined the hordes of people getting through security. They do bag checks and even half hearted pat down searches, but it's certainly not thorough and you could easily sneak things in. Like the guy who managed to get in a huge DSLR. They make a huge fuss about not allowing cameras, but phones are allowed. And you guessed it, lots of people were taking photos through the show. hmmmm.
Anyways, so lined up at our door for ten minutes before they let us in. We had pretty good seats, although I did get a tall guy right in front of me, so had to spend most of the show leaning one way or the other.
My view of the Passion Play
Stage of the Passionstheater
Mum and me at the Passion Play
After the first half we headed back to the hotel again to swap out a few things, then went to the café next to the theatre for our included dinner.
Statue of Jesus on a donkey taken during intermission
Then back for the second half of the show.
The one photo I took during the Passion Play - of the crucifixion
So the Passion Play. Quite interesting. Very wordy, so you really just get a "vibe" since I couldn't understand too much of it, just grabs of more familiar dialogue here and there. They do give you a book, but it's difficult to try and read along because then you miss seeing the show. I'll read it later. It's a bit different to the version I read on the coach to Sydney. There's very little stagecraft, but there were all sorts of animals - a donkey, horses, doves, sheep, goats, even a couple of camels! I've been wanting to see it for nearly thirty five years, so it was good to finally see it.
Then back to the hotel for a fairly late night.
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