Eighteen audience members at the Stuttgart state opera in Germany required medical attention for severe nausea after watching a performance featuring live piercing, unsimulated sexual acts, and a combination of real and fake blood. The incidents occurred over the weekend during two showings of Sancta, a controversial work by Austrian choreographer Florentina Holzinger.
Sebastian Ebling, a spokesperson for the opera, stated, “On Saturday we had eight and on Sunday we had ten people who had to be looked after by our visitor service.” In three instances, medical personnel had to be called in for treatment.
Holzinger’s Unique Artistic Style
Florentina Holzinger, 38, is known for her daring and unconventional performances that blend dance theatre with vaudeville elements. Her all-female troupe often appears partially or fully nude, and her previous works have included sword-swallowing, tattooing, and the use of blood and fresh excrement in performance art. In a recent interview with The Guardian, Holzinger said, “Good technique in dance to me is not just someone who can do a perfect tendu, but also someone who can urinate on cue.”
Sancta marks Holzinger’s debut in opera, premiering at the Mecklenburg state theatre in Schwerin last May. It draws inspiration from Paul Hindemith’s expressionist opera Sancta Susanna, a work historically known for its controversial themes.
Holzinger’s Adaptation
Hindemith’s original opera, which explores the story of a young nun whose arousal leads her to commit sacrilege, was scheduled to debut in Stuttgart in 1921 but was postponed due to protests, eventually premiering the following year. Holzinger’s adaptation replaces the traditional score with a modern twist, featuring naked nuns roller-skating on a movable half-pipe, and includes bold visuals like a wall of crucified nude figures and a lesbian priest officiating mass.
Following the presentation of Sancta in Vienna, bishops from Salzburg and Innsbruck criticized it as a “disrespectful caricature of the holy mass.” Holzinger, however, clarified that her work seeks to examine the relationship between conservative institutions and kink communities, not to ridicule the church.
Audience Advisory and Continued Success
Ebling urged future attendees to carefully review the performance warnings, which included mentions of incense, loud sounds, explicit sexual acts, and depictions of sexual violence. “If you have questions, speak to the visitor service,” he advised. “And when in doubt during the performance, it might help to avert your gaze.”
Despite the distress experienced by some audience members, the reports of medical assistance did not impact Sancta’s success. All five upcoming performances at Stuttgart’s state opera, as well as two scheduled shows at Berlin’s Volksbühne in November, have already sold out.
