As an apocalyptic prophecy grips Münster in the 1530’s, a fervent believer turned seductress and a disillusioned soldier find their fates entwined in a treacherous bid to overthrow a theocratic tyranny from within the city walls.

SYNOPSIS:

Set against the backdrop of the Protestant Reformation, St. Anthony’s Fire dramatizes the true events of the Münster Rebellion through the eyes of Hilla Feyken, a fervently devout follower from Friesland. Her unyielding faith leads her to embrace the Anabaptist cause, even as the city’s leaders, Jan Matthys and Jan van Leiden, enforce extreme and oppressive doctrines. Hilla's fanaticism and deep infatuation with Jan van Leiden blind her to the growing tyranny within the walls of what was to be the New Jerusalem.

Hilla's unwavering support for the Anabaptist leadership remains steadfast until a personal betrayal cuts to the core of her beliefs: she is denied a place in Jan van Leiden's harem, a rejection that devastates her. Desperate to regain his favour and her standing, Hilla attempts to assassinate the Prince-Bishop Franz von Waldeck, the relentless besieger of Münster and the antithesis of the Anabaptist revolution. Her failed attempt results in capture and torture, and she faces certain death until Heinrich von Lübeck, a disillusioned nobleman-turned-defender, rescues her from her grim fate.

In the aftermath, a desperate Hilla, with Heinrich's aid, begins to see the Anabaptist rule for the despotism it has become. Their path converges with that of Hermann von Kerssenbroch, a young but astute former adherent of the faith, whose family was exiled by the very leaders he once seemingly revered. Hermann's sharp intellect and intimate knowledge of the Anabaptist’s workings become instrumental in the trio's clandestine efforts to dismantle the cult from within.

Together, this unlikely alliance of a jilted believer, a noble warrior, and a vengeful scholar ignites a counter-revolution in the heart of the besieged city. They navigate treacherous political waters, seeding dissent among the faithful and exploiting the Anabaptist leaders' growing paranoia.

St. Anthony’s Fire hopes to be a gripping chronicle of devotion, betrayal, and awakening. The tone of the show shifts with Hilla’s transformation, from the fervent pulse of religious ecstasy to the cold clarity of disillusionment, echoing the larger story of a society grappling with the seductive and corrosive power of dogma.