Yesterday I saw one of the most original theatrical performances I have ever seen – a staging of the legendary and very special match from the World Cup in 1974 at the Volksparkstadion in Hamburg, between East and West Germany, which the little brother from the East sensationally won 1- 0.
The performance was staged outside the beautiful cultural center Gropius Bau, close to the memorial site Topographie des Terrors, which has been established in the same place where the Gestapo and SS had their headquarters in the 30s and 40s, and where part of the Berlin Wall has been preserved.
Outside the Gropius Bau, a football pitch was built – and now the symbolism is starting to get really heavy. The Berlin Wall previously divided the street in two, and the match – i.e. the performance – was therefore partly played in old East Germany, partly in West Germany.
Only two actors took part in the performance, one of which was former professional footballer Tanja Walther-Ahrens in the role of Jürgen Sparwasser, GDR’s goalscorer in the match, and the director himself, Massimo Furlan as Sepp Maier, West Germany’s goalkeeper. Both actors moved around out on the field, but without lines, and without any ball being in play.
Instead, the audience had access to an app, which played the original radio broadcasts from the match, both from the East and West German sides. Throughout the performance, the audience could alternate between the East German and the West German commentator, which gave an extra edge to the performance, which should and should last 2×45 minutes, with a 15-minute intermission.
If it wasn’t boring? No way! It was simply insanely good – exciting, funny and moving – a performance completely out of the ordinary, full of symbolism, in a beautiful place, on one of the mild and magical summer evenings only Berlin can offer. The result? East Germany won 1-0 this time as well. By far the best football match I have seen this year!
Author; Geir Jacobsen
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