Behind the Baubles

In the play "Could Someone Iron The Tinsel, Please?", the audience is taken on a grotesque journey into the world of Christmas stress.

Neues Schauspiel Leipzig has opened its doors for a celebration of irony and family traditions, embedded in the charming play “Could Someone Iron The Tinsel, Please?”, staged by Rosum and Weber for the English Theatre Leipzig. In the midst of a cozy and rustic atmosphere, the audience is taken on a journey through the facets of Christmas celebrations. 

The play is performed in English, which is likely to attract a lot of international audiences.
Although Leipzig‘s international community has been growing steadily, there is still a scarcity of cultural events in English.  

The work by author Marie Rosum brought together five strong characters on stage: from the compulsive Christian matriarch, the submissive daughter to a mysterious guest who observes the events with humor and empathy. The minimalist, style-conscious set design with classic contrasts of wood, gold and plastic creates an aesthetic backdrop in which the everyday nature of the modern costumes and the glamor of tinsel find their place. 

Accompanied by piano music and a cappella singing by the performers, the family gathers around the Christmas tree on December 25th, surrounded by senseless fights and loving moments. Traditions are the focus: ironing the tinsel, the compulsion to eat everything and setting an extra place at the table in case a lonely person needs someone to celebrate with.  

But the carefully guarded Christmas ritual takes an unexpected turn when an unknown person actually turns up at the door. An electrician? After all, the power has often gone off in the house recently. No, not on Christmas day, the family quickly agrees. But who is this mysterious guest who brings up the family’s conflicts and disrupts their tradition? The play raises familiar questions amid the seemingly harmonious festivities: Why does Christmas go wrong so often? Why does everything feel forced? 

“Could Someone Iron The Tinsel, Please?” offers room for personal interpretation and confrontation with the reality behind the glittering festivities. It exposes the stress and pressure of the festive season while showcasing singing, presents, good food and the whole range of emotions accompanying Christmas. 

The non-profit production has also been attracting attention off stage: a GoFundMe campaign invites people to support the performance and has already received generous donations to help achieve its goal of 1800 euros.  

The play brings together a total of nine participating talents and opens the door to a Christmas world which, with a pinch of irony, presents the festival of love and traditions in a new light. 

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