Israel Galván, the best flamenco dancer in the world, turns into a mythical seer. And Wim Vandekeybus, one of the most influential dancemakers of our time, resurrects an ancient family of gods. People no longer offer sacrifices as acts of worship to the Olympians. But they remain as fascinating as ever because their stories look deep into the abysses of the current human condition. For the Belgian choreographer, Zeus and Hera plus their children – including Hephaestus, the blacksmith, Aphrodite, the goddess of love, Ares, the god of war, and Hebe, the goddess of youth – make for a patchwork family of passions, conflicts and dramas. Greed, jealousy, vanity, a desire for revenge – the relationship between the parents and their offspring has always been complicated. Which means: a mecca for Vandekeybus, a fan of stories, and his energetic ensemble Ultima Vez. Infamous Offspring is a piece of dance, music, film and text for the big stage, with Galván portraying the blind prophet Teiresias.
Choreography and direction: Wim Vandekeybus
Development and performance: Iona Kewney, Maria Zhi Tortosa Soriano, Lotta Sandborgh, Cola Ho Lok Yee, Samuel Planas, Rakesh Sukesh, Paola Taddeo, Adrian Thömmes and Hakim Abdou Mlanao
Text: Fiona Benson
Music: Warren Ellis/Dirty Three, ILA
Artistic assistance and dramaturgy: Margherita Scalise
Movement assistance: Maria Kolegova and Alexandros Anastasiadis
Costume design: Isabelle Lhoas
Costume assistance: Susanne Fischer
Stage design: Wim Vandekeybus
Decor: Schröder, Pepijn Mesure and KVS, Brussels (BE)
Sound engineering and live video: Schröder
Lighting design: Wim Vandekeybus and Benjamin Verbrugge
Lighting (tour): Benjamin Verbrugge
Supertitles: Heleen Schepens
Translations: Flavia Casini (Italian), Anne Vanderschueren (French), Alex Stockman and Kim Schepens (Dutch)
Prodcution: Heleen Schepens
Tour management: Heleen Schepens and Kenneth Raemaekers
Distribution: Julia Bouhjar
Consultancy on mythology: Nadia Sels
Photography: Wim Vandekeybus and Danny Willems
Production: Ultima Vez
Co-production: Teatro Comunale Di Ferrara (IT), Théâtres de la Ville de Luxembourg (LU) and KVS, Brussels (BE)
Thanks: Jerry Killick, Matteo Principi and Louis Kubben
Infamous Offspring was created with the support of the Tax Shelter measure of the Belgian Federal Government, Casa Kafka Pictures Tax Shelter Empowered by Belfius. Ultima Vez is supported by the Flemish Community and the Flemish Community Commission of the Brussels Capital Region.
Film fragments:
Direction: Wim Vandekeybus
Film script: Wim Vandekeybus and Fiona Benson
Production: Ultima Vez and lesmecs
Executive production: Jesse Vander Meersch
Cast: Daniel Copeland, Lucy Black, Thi-Mai Nguyen, Cola Ho Lok Yee, Iona Kewney and Paola Taddeo
With a special appearance in the role of Tiresias: Israel Galvàn
1st AD and visual direction: Fernando Vandekeybus
DOP: Dries Vanderaerden
Art direction: Jara Vlaeminckx/cachet
Sound: Arthur Brouns
Makeup and hair: Tine De Sauter
Costume design: Isabelle Lhoas
