An opera can often explore some dark themes, but this show has brought a story to life which could potentially be considered a little too graphic.
The Staatsoper Stuttgart, an opera house in Germany, is currently presenting Sancta – a show which depicts one nun engaging in sex and others totally nude.
But now the show has become the talk of the town much farther than Stuttgart, as an online frenzy has stirred up claiming the show is too explicit for audience members.
Many members of the public were left shocked after seeing the performance. (YouTube/Staatsoper Stuttgart)
Some viewers were left seeking medical attention after witnessing actual blood, unsimulated sex and nude nuns on roller skates, the Guardian reports.
Reports suggest that a total of 18 people needed medial assistance after watching the explicit show, which were mostly treated for nausea.
The opera house has ultimately played down the response to the show, as they took to X to say that ‘both evenings were well received’.
They added that reports of first aid only meant someone ‘leaving’ the auditorium for a ‘drink of water’.
The account also posted: “We just wanted to say: We are generally not afraid to bring sensitive topics to the stage.”
You can say that again!
The play is set to travel to the US. (YouTube/Staatsoper Stuttgart)
Florentina Holzinger is the radical performance mastermind behind the show, which is performed by an all-female cast.
Talking to the Guardian, she 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.”
The play is described as a ‘sensual, poetic and wild’ spectacle, but has been described by the audience in a slightly less appealing way.
Previous performances constructed by Holzinger have included ‘live sword-swallowing, tattooing, masturbation and action paintings with blood and fresh excrement’.
Susanna, the main character, explores her sexuality in arguably the most controversial part of the show.
In a jaw-dropping scene, she engages in sexual activity with a religious symbol.
Reactions to the performance have not only been questionable from the public, but also religious heads.
When Holzinger brought the performance to Vienna in June, bishops branded it as a ‘disrespectful caricature of the holy mass’.
The venue has now issues a warning, which reads: “We recommend that all audience members once again very carefully read the warnings so they know what to expect.”
