Boy with a Suitcase

Boy with a Suitcase | (c) Christian Kleiner


According to an actor of the drama group Schnawwl from Mannheim, home was where he could trust people and where people trust him…

PASCH Pupils visit the performance „Boy With A Suitcase“

It's just after midday. The pupils have all taken their seats at the Shaw Theatre and are eagerly waiting for the show to begin. Here we go! It is utterly silent…

The performance of "Boy with a suitcase" and its accompanying workshops have been a great success. One could see from the pupils´ faces that they enjoyed being close to the action and seeing the actors performing live on stage. An opportunity which is only offered by the theatre! The play, written by Mike Kenny, is a harmonious mixture of German and Indian theatre traditions. The pupils predominately were impressed by the singing, music and movements on stage. The actors never mention the actual tragedy of the play; they only provide suggestions about past events. As a consequence the audience can digest and understand the play's underlying message, while enjoying the aesthetics of the production. The drama group – a cooperation of Schnawwl from Mannheim and Ranga Shankara Theatre in Bangalore, India – is exemplary for the Goethe-Institut´s work in terms of intercultural communication and additionally creates a fascinating unity of music and language.

The main themes of the play, such as Naz's escape to Europe, were dealt with in the workshops. The workshops gave pupils opportunities to further explore their impressions, and, in a playful manner, gain an insight into the refugee's point of view. The pupils enthusiastically reported on different images used in the play, and re-enacted various scenes.

Pupils and teachers, theatre experts and the general public were fascinated by this theatre performance.
 

Contact

Simone Pfliegel
Co-ordinator in Northwestern Europe for Schools: Partners for the Future
Tel. +44 20 75964013
simone.pfliegel@goethe.de