Class 10 Visits The Physicists at the Deutsches Theater: Experiencing Literature Live on Stage

How far can scientific responsibility go? And what happens when genius, morality and power collide?

These are some of the questions explored in Friedrich Dürrenmatt’s famous play The Physicists (Die Physiker), which both Grade 10 classes are currently studying in their German lessons.

To deepen their understanding of the play ahead of their upcoming class assessment, the students attended an evening performance at the Deutsches Theater in Berlin.

The excursion provided a valuable opportunity to experience the work live on stage and to engage with its themes in a completely different way than through classroom reading alone.

The production impressed students and teachers alike with its creative staging.

Particularly striking was the innovative set design, which made extensive use of light, shadows and projections to create a fascinating visual atmosphere.

Another memorable artistic choice was the deliberate role reversal in casting: female characters were portrayed by male actors, while male characters were played by female actors.

This distancing effect highlighted the play’s comedic elements and encouraged the audience to reflect more critically on the characters and their actions.

For many students, the English surtitles projected during the performance were especially helpful.

They provided additional support in understanding the complex dialogue and plot shortly before the class assessment.

The visit was organized by German teachers Lilli Lamcken and Katharina Pietzner, together with Drama teacher Maxi Geithner.

The students experienced an evening at the theatre that demonstrated just how vivid, engaging and relevant a literary classic can still be today.

By bringing literature to life on stage, the visit offered students fresh perspectives on a classic work of German literature and helped prepare them for their upcoming assessment in an engaging and memorable way.