THEATRE PLAY: Das Geisterschiff (The Ghost ship). Basel Schauspielhaus (In German). Til June 2010

This play is entitled a ‘Musical grotesque’, which turns out to mean a play interspersed with music from the live band on stage ‘Kolsimcha’ and dance. It’s highly entertaining, because during and between the scenes, the actors suddenly break out into dance, accompanied by the band, who play contemporary Klezmer music (which has its roots in Jewish wedding music). The dance sequences are quite bizarre, contorted, synchronized, but extremely funny. Yet the story itself is a sad one. Hence, despite a delightfully entertaining evening, you leave the performance with serious food for thought.

The story itself is a tragic one, based on a true incident in 1996, which many will remember. A boat with 300 refugees attempting to land in Italy sank off the coast of Sicily, its may-day calls ignored. The costal authorities never followed up the case and the Cutter was never raised from the deep, which became known to locals as the ‘Ghost-ship’. The play takes place some years later, where 8 passengers meet on a boat crossing to Sicily to a congress on the incident.

The passengers all have equally obscure motives for their interest the case: for example, two ambitious young journalists visit the ‘scene of the crime’, in the hope of winning a prize for their journalism; a funeral undertaker expects the Cutter will soon be raised and he’ll be the one to provide funeral services to the dead, hence earning enough money for a villa; Other passengers include a local priest, and the local town mayor of the port, and they all have a story to tell.

The author, Margareth Obexer, based her play on real interviews she made with locals from the area. She deals with the themes of guilt and failure. But together with the director, Florentine Klepper, she brings these difficult topics and a tragic case to the stage in a memorable way. On one hand it’s highly amusing, but this cleverly avoids undermining the seriousness of the issue. You leave the performance carrying some uncomfortable questions about today’s society.

Highly recommended. Well worth seeing!!

Next performances: 9/17/24/ May and further performances in June. See: www.theater-basel.ch.