Rakvere Castle lends sacred atmosphere to Agnes Dei

Rakvere Theatre has staged John Pielmeier’s play Agnes Dei inside Rakvere Castle, where lead actress Luisa Lõhmus says the intimate setting gives the story a sense of sacredness, ERR reported.

Directed by Peeter Raudsepp, the play was written in 1979 and is based on a true story from the United States. It takes place in a convent and centres on Agnes, a novice who has endured a difficult childhood and is suspected of killing her newborn child.

Lõhmus said Agnes’s past and the situation she faces leave her confused and questioning what she knows and who she is.

Raudsepp said he was most interested in what had been done to Agnes during her childhood. He described it as a broader social concern that cannot be blamed solely on parents.

The production can be described as a crime drama with touches of humour, Raudsepp said. Its humour comes from Agnes’s character and outlook on life, and from the way these clash with the events around her.

The performances in the castle have sold out in advance. Lõhmus said the close setting allows the story to unfold intimately, while the castle’s thick walls lend it a sense of sacredness. She added that the songs feel suited to the setting, which audiences do not have to imagine as they would in a large hall.