The Elephant Man

Joseph Carey Merrick—known as "the Elephant Man"—was a real person. He was born in 1862 and died in 1890. Trapped in a deformed body, exhibited first in shabby fairground booths and then in the gloomy anatomy halls of the Victorian era: a life lived between gawking contempt and scientific curiosity, until he became the darling of high society, hailed in London's salons. For many years, Merrick was considered mentally deficient, until the London physician Dr. Frederick Treves discovered, behind the disfigured features, the sensitive and cultured mind that Merrick truly was.

Today, Merrick is a symbol of the triumph of the spirit over the body – and an icon of modern culture: David Bowie portrayed the "Elephant Man" on stage, and in David Lynch's legendary film, it was John Hurt. Michael Jackson referenced him in his music video "Leave Me Alone" (and reportedly even wanted to buy Joseph Merrick's preserved skeleton).

In 1989, author and director Martin Kuchejda presented his stage adaptation of this tragic human story, with actor Maximilian Osterritter—himself severely physically disabled—giving a brilliant performance in the title role. Now, the "Elephant Man" is reborn in a carefully revised version of Kuchejda's drama. This time, Osterritter's nephew, Gerd-Josef Pohl, plays Joseph Merrick, a role he describes, after more than 40 years as a puppeteer and actor, as "the most important and personal role of my life." Kathleen Wojahn and Dirk Loh also appear in supporting roles. The expressive, large-scale puppet for this production was created by Ulrike Oeter, and the graphics and projections are by Ralf Marczinczik.

Free admission with open seating in the theater hall. Please register at: theaterkasse@bergischerloewe.de