Phantom – A Play

The play “Phantom (A Play)” will be shown from 8th March in Gostner Hoftheater.

The story begins with an abandoned baby in a fast food joint somewhere in Germany. The main character Blanca, a Bulgarian, is quickly under suspicion because she was seen in the restaurant shortly before. It is played with German prejudices but also with hopes and illusions of refugees in a humorous and clever way. The character of Annika, a pregnant German, is contrasted with the story of Blanca. “Phantom” is an approach to our present with a massive tide of refugees in Germany and the viewer is touched by Blanca’s thoughts that some day her children will be “Germans with a strange last name”.

 

The YOU ARE HERE – Team went to see the final rehearsal and interviewed the director Silke Würzburger.

YOU ARE HERE: Why is he play called “Phantom”?

Silke Würzburger: Well, prejudices and clichés are somehow phantom images in our heads. Blanca is a phantom herself to start with and then it slowly unravels.

YOU ARE HERE: To what extent can art dismantle prejudices?

SilkeWürzburger: In art and expecially in theatre prejudices are shown purposely and very strongly. That’s what we did with this play, too. I think as soon as you name the prejudices and play with them people start to think about them. I believe that is is easier to dismantle prejudices wihout a pointing finger.

YOU ARE HERE: What did you personally like about the play?

YOU ARE HERE: The play was written by Lütz Hübner and has so many layers. I started to deal with it and then decided not to focus on the story of tthe flight so much – which isn’t so much a story of flight anyway. I rather focussed on the clichés. What are clichés and where can you find them? That was exciting for me – to look what’s behind stereotypes like that. That’s where you find people and their fate and that’s what was so interesting for me.