Judas at the ETA Hoffmann Theater: A defense speech against forgetting
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Judas turns the accusation on its head
A man steps out of the shadows of Christian tradition and demands to be heard: Judas Iscariot, the most famous traitor of Western culture, gains his own voice in Walter Jens’ pointed defense speech. On Saturday, October 31, 2026, the studio of the ETA Hoffmann Theater Bamberg transforms into a concentrated space for thought and resonance for one of the most contradictory figures in biblical history.
A monologue between guilt and divine plan
The direction by Tim Adam focuses on the crucial dramatic shift: It is not the accusation that speaks, but the defendant himself. Judas defends his decisions with passion and theological sharpness, doubts, struggles, and forces the audience to re-examine familiar moral certainties. From the seemingly unambiguous betrayal emerges a contradictory portrait of a man whose role in the Christian martyr myth remains inextricably linked to the story of Jesus.
Bible reading as highly exciting stage art
Walter Jens’ text combines literary precision with a ruthless dramaturgy. The speech dissects traditional accusations and denounces the millennia-old Christian anti-Semitism. At its core is a plea against labeling individuals or groups as scapegoats. The production derives a political and social relevance from this, without losing sight of the religious dimension.
A concentrated production in the studio
Director Tim Adam and actor Marek Egert collaborate once again after their joint production The World at Your Back. Their theatrical work promises an immediate stage experience in which acting, language, and presence carry the evening. The stage and costume by Anais Buzduga, as well as the dramaturgy by Lea Mantel, frame the monologue into an intense theater evening between interrogation, self-reflection, and inner tribunal.
An evening for curious theatergoers
The theater atmosphere in the studio creates intimacy and makes every hesitation, every attack, and every doubt of Judas resonate immediately. The audience experiences not a retold biblical story, but a mentally sharpened production about responsibility, prejudice, and the power of narratives. The audience’s reaction begins not only at the final applause: This piece continues to work in the mind.
Conclusion: Judas – The Defense Speech of Judas Iscariot combines literary stage art with religious, historical, and social reflection. Marek Egert gives the supposed traitor a haunting voice, while Tim Adam’s direction keeps the evening tense. Those who experience theater as a place of thought and immediate encounter should see this performance live at the ETA Hoffmann Theater Bamberg.
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