With his new solo Matija Ferlin embraces the spirit of Johann Sebastian Bach’s St Matthew Passion. The title, translated from the Croatian, means ‘Now I am Matthäus’. In a collaboration with dramaturg Goran Ferčec, the choreographer and performer takes up the challenge of an encounter between his own physical body and the formidable oratorio with a run time of more than 150 minutes. ‘My soul is exceeding sorrowful, even unto death: tarry ye here and watch with me.’ The challenging dialogue that unfolds is one of simple beauty: between a person of the 21st century and a highlight of Protestant sacred music; between a straining body and a canonical funeral ritual; and between the individual and civilisation. Ferlin’s precise vocabulary of movement pushes the double meaning of the word ‘passion’ to its limits. Caught between pain and passion, he exposes the audience and himself to the supremacy of the music. New opportunities arise from vulnerability. A common space of devotion and dedication emerges.