International Festival of Contemporary Theatre
Performances
Marking the 10th anniversary of Homo Novus, we have gathered 11 Latvian artists from various genres for a production of new small scale performances, installations or actions. These works will be based in the British theatre scholar Alan Read’s theory of “theatre as the last human venue” and structured as an event, unified in time and space.
In his book ‘Theatre, Intimacy and Engagement’, Alan Read writes: “The last human venue marks the location and moment of human beings’ awareness of their own eventual extinction. Performance, on the contrary, explores ways in which performance operates as an exciter of sentience, kick-starting our sense of being alive, acting as a pleasurable lengthening of device to extend our inevitable faith. Humans in this venue distinguish themselves from other animals through their experiencing of an extended childhood, in their ability to sustain a controlled, unbroken outward breath and by their unique capacity to aesthetically disappoint.”
‘The Last Human Venue’ programme includes performances by theatre directors Pēteris Krilovs, Vladislavs Nastavševs and Valters Sīlis, and the exhibition by directors Andrejs Jarovojs, Viesturs Meikšāns, set designers Monika Pormale, Izoldes Cēsniece, Reinis Suhanovs, fashion designers MAREUNROL’S and artistic collectives Nomadi and umka.lv.
Wasteland
6 September
16:00 | Wasteland, departure from Strēlnieku square |
7 September
17:00 | Wasteland, departure from Strēlnieku square |
7 and 5* Ls
At a distance of just over fifty metres from the audience, small creatures potter around. They surrender to the laws of living and dying without protecting or shielding themselves. They choose to venture into the open, to be vulnerable. There is no speech. The images are gripping and follow each other at an icy pace. The lines of the countryside are long. The cruelties without cause or consequence.
‘Wasteland’ tells the story of nine people wandering through a forgotten place. Inspired by the novels of John Coetzee, this production uses penetrating imagery to bring the violence and desolation of his books to life.
Director Lotte van den Berg stages the action hundreds of feet from the audience, creating an expansive physical distance, and delivering a surprisingly deep and personal impact.
About artist
Lotte van den Berg (born 1975 in The Netherlands) studied theatre direction at the Amsterdam School of the Arts. After graduation, she worked as a freelance director for a number of Dutch and Flemish theatres, and was Toneelhuis’s in-house director in Antwerp. In 2009, she created her own company, OMSK and worked from the small town of Dordrecht. In 2010 OMSK worked for several months in Kinshasa, the capital of the Democratic Republic of Congo. Since 2012 Lotte van den Berg is a part of Het Huis a/d Werf in Utrecht, together with other theatre makers, such as Boukje Schweigman and Dries Verhoeven.
Lotte van den Berg has won several awards, amongst which the Erik Vos prize and the Charlotte Kohler prize. Her work can be seen at various renowned European theatre festivals and her work is also performed in America, Canada and Africa. Her visual language is sober, bare. Images, movements and scenes are, through a dedicated attention for detail, condensed to their essence. Van den Berg moves between the worlds of dance, theatre and film, creating thus an open and very personal style, which invites the audience to contemplate different perspectives and angles. She works with professionals but also with people and amateurs, on location and in theatres and she chooses to be inspired by what surrounds us, what takes place in everyday life. In fact, someone wrote: ‘Van den Berg blows a bubble round the ordinary to grasp its naked essence.’
Credits
Direction: Lotte Van Den Berg and Guido Kleene
Cast: Matthias Maat, Monika Haasova, Carola Bartschiger, Lobke van Beuzekom, Jurgen Brucker, Erlend Hammer Hansen, Rachid Laachir, Luc van Loots, Romanee Rodriquez
Technician: Manuel Boutreur, Paul de Vries
Design of the tribune: Martin Mulder
Production manager: Erma van Maris
Producer: Compagnie Dakar / co-producer OMSK / spreiding Frans brood / with thanks to Theater Stap
6
September
16:00
7
September
17:00
7 and 5*
Lats
Language
No text
Duration
2 h, including the trip to/from venue
Address
The only way to get to the performance is with the festival bus. Departure on 6th September at 16:00 and on 7th September at 17:00 from Strēlnieku square. Bus trip is included in the price.
Website
Supported by
* Ticket price for pupils, students, seniors
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