Gripped by war, poverty and plague, the villagers of Oberammergau, in Bavaria, southern Germany vowed to put on a 'passion play' every ten years. That was back in 1633. They survived, and performed the first Oberammergau Passion Play in 1634. Ever since, their descendants have carried out that pledge. For the past four centuries the tradition has continued, every ten years. Only villagers have been allowed to take part. And that is what will happen yet again in 2010, from 15th May until 3rd October. They devote a year of their lives to re-enacting the life, death and resurrection of Christ. In real life for instance Jesus is a psychologist and Mary Magdalene works as a flight attendant. By taking on their roles in the Passion Play, they are fulfilling the promise to God made by their ancestors, celebrating their faith and sharing it with the world as Oberammergauers have for some 375 years. About half the inhabitants of Oberammergau take part in the play. This means that over 2,000 villagers will bring the story of Jesus of Nazareth to life for the audiences that flock in from around the world. The play starts with Jesus entering Jerusalem, continues with his death on the cross and finishes with the resurrection. As ever, this is an extraordinary community enterprise. 2010 sees a new production directed by Christian Stückl, director at Munich's noted Volkstheater He is supported by the artistic team that along with him staged the 2000 Passion Play: all from Oberammergau. The play starts at 2.30pm and, including a three-hour interval, ends at 10.30pm. The 102 performances take place between May 15 and October 3, 2010
