Am 10.September 2024 führte ein Schauspieler-Ensemble des White Horse Theatre ihr Stück „Promised Land“ in der Aula des Gymnasium Odenkirchen für alle SchülerInnen der Jahrgangsstufen 9 und 10 auf. Hier folgen die Eindrücke der Schülerin Anna Baumann (10a) – natürlich auf Englisch:
On September 10th, 2024, the school bell rang for the fourth period, and all the tenth graders gathered in the assembly hall. Today was a day many had already been looking forward to – a group of English actors had come to Gymnasium Odenkirchen to present the play “Promised Land”.
This play tells the story of Ravi, a refugee from Kosovo, who faced a difficult journey to Britain. It took two years before she and her mother were granted asylum and allowed to stay legally in the UK for five years. However, their troubles were far from over. Teenagers in their new neighborhood strongly disliked foreigners and so they bullied and hurt Ravi. In the end, peace triumphed over conflict in their relationship, but it was a long and challenging journey. The play shows how people are often afraid of change at first and how often difficult it can be to shift their opinions – a problem we still face today.
The four actors, aged between 23 and 28, were from the White Horse Theatre and did an outstanding job of conveying the intense emotions in the story. Many scenes were emotionally charged, and the performers portrayed their roles incredibly well, making the audience feel deeply connected to the characters’ experiences.
In my opinion, this play was really great. At the end, we had the chance to ask the native speakers a few questions about their tour. Over the next few months, they will travel across Germany, performing the play at other schools. The actors were kind and approachable when answering our questions, and they were happy to take a picture with us after the performance, creating a lasting memory.
In conclusion, this play was an unforgettable experience, and I would recommend it to everyone. It was also a great opportunity to interact with the actors and hear what it’s like to perform such a challenging piece.
(Anna Baumann, Form 10a)