Guest Author - Karyn Johnson

The Shakespeare Festival in Neuss, Germany (near Düsseldorf) is an annual summer event that attracts theatre companies from all over the world to its little Globe. In 2006, renowned companies from the United States, Poland, Korea, England, Wales, and all over Germany came to show off their productions. While the plays are performed in various languages and represent international cultures, different time periods, and assorted settings, they all still respect the spirit of Shakespeare.

A Comedy of Errors

The play I attended was the Aquila Theatre Company's production of A Comedy of Errors. The company, based out of New York City, sent seven actors to perform two comedies over the course of five days. First, they had three performances of Twelfth Night, followed by three of Comedy of Errors. I can only assume that both were superb, as the performance of Comedy of Errors that I saw was hilarious, witty, polished, and rife with pop culture references that had the audience rolling in the aisles. The mostly German audience loved it…so much, in fact, that their endless applause forced the actors to come back on stage several times to take a bow.

While their interpretation of Shakespeare was not the most traditional, Aquila Theatre Company's production was creative, contemporary, and made a four hundred year old play relevant to the times. It was full of slapstick, music, dancing, and bawdiness that, while not original to the play, were definitely a wink and a nod to Shakespeare. I was as fascinated by the audience's response as I was by the performance. This truly was a case where Shakespeare was made accessible to the masses, particularly to people who do not speak English as their native language.

The Neuss Shakespeare Festival

The festival is held in a small replica of the Globe Theatre. It's not a very authentic reproduction, as the theatre is indoors and built from steel. It seats six hundred people (not filled to capacity when I was there), and nobody sits more than ten meters from the stage. This way, the audience is able to get up close and personal with Shakespeare (but they should avoid the first two rows, since spit and sweat are showering copiously from the stage). The German Globe was originally built for the Schloßtheater Overhagen, used for one year, and then abandoned for two years. In 1991, Neuss bought it and had it assembled there, and the Shakespeare Festival was born.

The festival usually runs in July and August, over the course of five weekends (with some mid-week performances as well). It ends with a lecture. While the plays are performed in different languages, the programs are printed in German. The theatre "lobby", which is actually a separate building, is named "All's Well that Ends Well" and is where play-goers can purchase souvenirs and refreshments, including a beer bottled specially in festival souvenir bottles.

For more information about the festival, visit The Neuss Shakespeare Festival website (English version available).

If you can't make it to Germany for the festival, the Aquila Theatre Company tours. If they come to your town, definitely go see them. They know their Shakespeare. For more information, visit their website.