In 1921, German composer Paul Hindemith sought to debut his one-act opera Sancta Susanna, which explores a nunnery’s descent into sexual frenzy, at the prestigious Stuttgart Opera.

But outrage over its allegedly blasphemous text, which one critic at the time called a “desecration of our cultural institutions”, forced the premiere to be postponed until the following year at the Oper Frankfurt.

Now, over a century later, Stuttgart’s State Opera has brought a radical-feminist reinterpretation of Hindemith’s work to life with Sancta, directed by the avant-garde choreographer Florentina Holzinger.

And so far, its proven to be anything but your typical night at the opera…

There have been only two performances since its Stuttgart premiere on 5 October, but 18 theatregoers have reportedly required medical treatment for severe nausea following the show.

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In short, the opera is nearly three-hours of uninterrupted batshit craziness.

On stage, naked nuns roller skate around on a movable half-pipe, while a bouldering wall of crucified naked bodies dripping blood looms in the background. To add to this chaos, there are live piercings, crucifix swallowing acts, unsimulated sex scenes and a sprinkle of spanking thrown in for good measure.

One particularly unforgettable moment sees an actress with dwarfism dressed as the Pope, being spun around by a robotic arm, while another features an actress belting out Eminem tracks while dressed as Jesus (because why not?).

For a taste of the mayhem, please check out this trailer.

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Archbishop of Salzburg Franz Lackner described the show as “seriously offensive to believers’ religious feelings and convictions”.

The opera’s Austrian choreographer Holzinger has made a name for herself, with past productions that have incorporated elements of pain, nudity, body horror, acrobatics, sword-swallowers and Japanese bondage artists.

“This is an opera about the breaking forth of the repressed female libido, so we decided to have a lot of fun," the 38-year-old dancer told The Guardian earlier this year.

Despite reports of more than a dozen attendees falling ill, all five remaining shows at the Stuttgart state opera, as well as two performances at Berlin’s Volksbühne in November, have completely sold out.