One week of rehearsals, two performers and an epic from the Middle Ages. Inspired by Wolfram von Eschenbach’s story Parzival about missed opportunities and life-changing encounters, Leonie Böhm and two members of the ensemble set off in search of their own Holy Grail. Kicking things off are Matthias Neukirch and Ondrej Vidlar.
“Will you show me your wound?” This could be the question that Parzival asks the Grail King Amfortas at the end of his story, thereby relieving him of his suffering. But before Parzival gets the chance to do this, Wolfram von Eschenbach first sends him on a hero’s journey in his medieval epic that lasts a lifetime. In the process, Parzival learns not only about the world but also, above all, how to behave in it. In the decisive moment, however, despite all the rules and norms he has learned, he lacks the ability to really engage with others.
In-house Leonie Böhm uses the epic tale as a basis for intimate encounters with actors from the Zurich ensemble, examining over the course of a season the fundamental question of what makes us human. At the end of Parzival’s journey is the empowerment of true compassion. And so, for Leonie Böhm, the Holy Grail would indeed have been found.
