On the 25th January 2023, a group of students went to watch The Visit by Friedrich Dürrenmatt.
A group of GCSE and A level students went to watch The Visit by Friedrich Dürrenmatt at St Helen and St Katharine school.
The play is a gritty examination of the moral decline that was seen in towns throughout Germany during the Great Depression. Through the commitment of the very impressive cast and clever staging, the tragicomedy shocked the audience with its dark and grotesque turns.
The play begins with a former citizen of the town Güllen, Claire Zachanaissian, having made a great fortune in the past, coming back to her struggling hometown with the promise of financial support for the town in return for the death of her former lover – Anton Schill. Initially, the townspeople firmly refuse her offer, but as the play continues, greed gradually overtakes the people of Güllen in its insidious way, until the play reaches its finale with the brutal murder of Anton Schill.
The play relates to both my German and History courses. Having learnt about the great depression and the moral decline which accompanied it in History, it is hugely interesting to see the horrendous effects, closely examined in the play. It is also relevant to my German studies by creating a clearer picture of Germany’s complicated history.Poppy, Year 11