Not the Messiah – based on the iconic movie “Life of Brian”

Jesus Christ was not the only one who was born in a stable on this fateful Christmas Eve. In fact, so was Brian Cohen! The satirical oratory “Not the Messiah”, an adaptation of the 1979 Monty Python movie “Life of Brian”, tells the story of an “average man” who is mistaken for the messiah following a series of misunderstandings and coincidences. Brian tumbles from one disadvantageous and bizarre situation to the next; he is worshipped as a saviour by a sect and involuntarily becomes a religious figure.

The oratory humorously discusses human nature, the search for one’s own identity and the tendency to obey authorities without questioning them. With regard to music, catchy tunes meet classical organ and choir music, and the text is filled with irony and black humour. It is this contrast between solemn, religious sounds and absurd, comical tones that makes this work so special.

The humour of “Monty Python’s Flying Circus” is still unsurpassed. With “Life of Brian”, Monty Python turned the Bible upside down in 1979. In 2007, the makers of “Spamalot”, Eric Idle and John Du Prez, created a comic oratory based on the movie. Opera soloists, a choir and a symphonic orchestra tell the story of Brian, who is not the Messiah, through their music – including, of course, the famous song “Always Look on the Bright Side of Life”.

With the stage adaptation, it has become common practice to present “Not the Messiah” in a semi-staged performance: As with a classical oratory, the focus is not on the dramatic performance but on the orchestra and the soloists. The production is staged by Carl Philip von Maldeghem, who takes on the special task of placing not only the singers but also the Mozarteum Orchestra as well as musical director Tobias Meichsner on the stage of the Salzburg State Theatre.