Ulrich Zaum

In this reworking of his version of Golem, Ulrich Zaum has paired his play with rousing songs by The Tiger Lillies.

Athanasius Pernath shows up, and along with him comes a bunch of weird and unusual figures. There’s the student Charousek, who is waging a devious campaign of revenge against the stingy junk dealer Aaron Wassertrum; Zottmann, who manufactures joke props and is also the ageing sugar daddy of the young prostitute Rosina; and Loisa, who would do anything for Rosina, including murder Zottmann. But it is Pernath who is sent to prison for a long time, despite his innocence. During this time, Wassertrum and Charousek kill themselves. When Pernath’s innocence is proven and Loisa is chased, Rosina wipes the A from Loisa’s forehead and death remains. The golem-like Loisa turns into a piece of clay and Pernath bids farewell.
The unusual story of Athanasius Pernath, who is drawn deeper and deeper into the dark and creepy machinations of a mystical underworld and the wonderful music by The Tiger Lillies make for a spine-tingling, fantastical play.
“Jacque’s music is an anarchic, alchemistic mixture of ballad, blues, circus orchestra, blissful waltz, Kurt Weill and Tom Waits, served up by sad pianos, drunken trumpets and angelic, or rather castrated countertenors of piercing beauty (…) Songs like ‘Paper Cutter’ and ‘Fear’ assure this Golem a place between the dark pedagogy of Shockheaded Peter and the Black Rider’s deal with the devil.” (Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung)