Deutsche Fassung

During the time when the Middle Ages were ending and modern times were beginning, hundreds of people danced for weeks in the squares of Strasbourg. For many, the dancing frenzy ended in death. To this day, it remains uncertain what precisely occurred. Was it a disease? Or demonic possession? Or mass hysteria? Or a counter-society? And what about getting a bit too carried away and losing yourself in the moment? Each interpretation of the dancing frenzy is a reflection of a worldview, alluding to constraints or idealised states.

The production originally premiered under the title Die Bakchen, taken from an ancient drama in which Dionysus cruelly punishes anyone who refuses to worship him through dance.

In this immersive radio play, the performance makes an adventurous attempt to empathise with medieval events. Participants can either use their imagination or their own bodies to perform the exercise. Trying to imagine what happened in the past also makes the present seem clearer. Suddenly, the Raving Society becomes a more plausible way of life than the desire to function in a society that is soon to collapse anyway. Now, the only question is whether the beat kicks.

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