Nincshof brings its forgotten village to the stage in Güssing

A stage adaptation of Johanna Sebauer’s novel Nincshof premiered Thursday at the cultural centre in Güssing, with 3,000 tickets already sold for performances across Burgenland, ORF reports.

The story follows the “Oblivists”, who want their village to be forgotten so its residents can live in freedom and peace, as legend says they did before the place was discovered among the reeds of Lake Neusiedl. The Oblivists believe they must remove road signs, deter cycling tourists and keep newcomers under control.

Christoph Krutzler plays the group’s temperamental leader, the mayor. He is joined by Ferry Janoska as the quiet Sipp Sepp and Skye MacDonald as Valentin Salmerak, who becomes an unusually conspicuous tail. The newcomers are former documentary filmmaker Isa Bachgasser, played by Mona Kospach, and Silvano Mezzaroni, played by Gerald Votava, who keeps the village’s “Irrziegen”.

Lisa-Maria Cerha’s production gathers a series of comic and eccentric moments. The opening scene, with village elder Erna Rohdiebl, played by Johanna Mertinz, bathing in a pool that exists only through the sound of splashing, starts slowly before the show picks up pace. Janoska also provides musical accompaniment on the bandoneon, an accordion-like instrument.

The production, adapted by Fabian Pfleger, will also be staged at cultural centres in Mattersburg, Oberschützen and Eisenstadt. Further performances are scheduled in October and November. For now, the Oblivists will have to wait to see whether their village is forgotten.