Legends and their artistic marketing

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Will the weather hold? Actor Thorsten Sim looks suspiciously into the sky as the trumpets sound. Bertschi/Jakob

Thankfully for the actors:, the knights' hats are lined with foam. Before the performance, they are given the final touches. Severin Jakob

Fake moustaches and beards stand ready to be stuck on - but the example on the right is real. Bertschi/Jakob

Actors cover a lot of distance every performance. Sometimes they have to pass through the foyer to get back to the set. Bertschi/Jakob

A farmer from the region leads his cows to the theatre for every Tell performance. Extras and players have one thing in common: they do not have professional acting training. Bertschi/Jakob

Actor Adhanom Kahsai from Eritrea in the wardrobe room. Bertschi/Jakob

Armin Tschopp, who is responsible for the well-being of the donkeys, takes a break. Unlike the actors, the audience is protected from the weather. Bertschi/Jakob

Alfred Siegrist, playing Pastor Rösselmann, has already gone down these stairs 350 times. In earlier performances he also played the role of Sigrist or Kuoni, the shepherd. Severin Jakob

Of the 130 performers, 35 have speaking roles. The electronic amplification equipment stands ready. And the actors are also ready on their benches: light signals and clocks give them their cues. Bertschi/Jakob

Children prefer to dance or play hide-and-seek rather than sit on a bench. Bertschi/Jakob

In addition to weapons and armour, a stuffed chamois mountain goat is also part of the prop itinerary. Two minutes before his performance, Wilhelm Tell, played by Markus Adzic, poses for photographers. Bertschi/Jakob

Walking to the stage. Bertschi/Jakob

William Tell plays are performed in one of the largest open-air theatres in Switzerland - and are staged in all weathers. Bertschi/Jakob

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William Tell plays in Interlaken have a long tradition. Markus Bertschi and Severin Jakob took a journey through the Middle Ages as part of their book project.

Halberds, torches and knights’ helmets meet stuffed chamois mountain goats, fake beards and state-of-the-art lighting technology: Friedrich Schiller’s drama “Wilhelm TellExternal link” is performed annually from June to mid-September in Interlaken in the open air. In 1912 a teacher staged Tell’s play with his class for the first time. Since then, with an interruption during the World Wars, the play has been performed regularly, and since 1954 has become a permanent fixture.

Around 130 amateur actors and actresses take part in the production. In addition to residents from the region, asylum seekers and people with disabilities are also part of the cast and crew. In their book project “Fabulous!”, Zurich photographers Severin JakobExternal link and Markus BertschiExternal link travelled to Interlaken. They went behind the scenes to uncover the fact and fiction behind the legend.

Besides William Tell, they also pursued Robin Hood and Sherlock Holmes, looked for Nessie and were captivated by the vampire Dracula. Their journey captures not just the beauty, but also the commercial side of mythical venues.