“Artists must do all they can to make sure that their ‘poetics’ provide a powerful response to the all-devouring political suffocation we now find ourselves in”, Jan Lauwers writes about this piece, which is as much a love story as it is a reflection on war. Meet Elik, a former Israeli elite soldier, who became a dancer after an accident, and young Romy, who firmly believes that the world is good. Lauwers himself, Grace Ellen Barkey and their children are also part of the story, as well as an old bakery, which is both their home and their place of work. Emerging from this is a provocative exploration of the complexity of this world where Europe sacrifices its values, societies are dividing and hatred frequently poisons communication. All the good that exists is accompanied by 800 glass balloons created by a craftsman from the West Bank, a medieval painting by Dutch master Rogier van der Weyden and the question of what freedom in art can mean today.
Text, direction, set: Jan Lauwers
Music: Maarten Seghers
With: Grace Ellen Barkey, Romy Louise Lauwers, Victor Lauwers, Jan Lauwers, Inge Van Bruystegem (replaces Sarah Lutz), Benoît Gob, Elik Niv, Jules Beckman, Simon Lenski, Maarten Seghers, George van Dam (replaces Elke Janssens)
Costumes: Lot Lemm
Dramaturgy: Elke Janssens
Light Design: Ken Hioco, Jan Lauwers
Sound: Ditten Lerooij
Production management: Marjolein Demey
Technical director, set: Ken Hioco
Mask: Lot Lemm, Benoît Gob
Assistant technical director: Tijs Michiels
Stage assistant: Nina Lopez Le Galliard
Tour technician: Saul Mombaerts, Bram Geldhof, Dries D'Hondt, Jannes Dierynck
Assistant costumes: Lieve Meeussen
Intern costumes: Marion Thomasson
Intern P.U.L.S.: Lisaboa Houbrechts
English language coach: Helen McNamara
French language coach: Anny Czupper
English translation: Gregory Ball
French translation: Anne Vanderschueren
German translation: Rosi Wiegmann
A Needcompany production in partnership with RIJEKA 2020 Llc. in the framework of Rijeka 2020 - European Capital of Culture, Croatian National Theatre “Ivan pl. Zajc”
Coproduction: Ruhrtriennale, Festival Reims Scènes d'Europe, Concertgebouw Brugge, La Colline Paris
Copresentation: Zürcher Theater Spektakel, Teatro Central de Sevilla, Kaaitheater Brussel, Toneelhuis Antwerpen, Malta festival Poznań
Tax Shelter financing: uFund nv, Melissa Thomas, Christel Simons
With the support of the Belgian Federal Government’s Tax Shelter and the Flemish authorities
