BL!NDMAN Akenkaai 2, B-1000 Brussels +32 (0)2 201 59 47
 
 

line-up

direction < ivo van hove
actors < barry atsma (aufidius, anchorman, enobarbus) jacob derwig (cominius, brutus/lucius, thidias) renée fokker (volkstribuun, cassius, decretus) fred goessens (menenius, lepidus) janni goslinga (virgilia, calpurnia, diomedes) marieke heebink (senator, caska, charmian) fedja van huêt (coriolanus, agrippa) hans kesting (antonius) hugo koolschijn (julius caesar, proculeius) hadewych minis (octavius caesar) chris nietvelt (anchorman, cleopatra) frieda pittoors (volumnia, iras) alwin pulinckx (brutus, dolabella) eelco smits (sicinius, decius, ventidius) karina smulders (portia/lucius, octavia)

music < eric sleichim
music assistant < ief spincemaille
musicians < BL!NDMAN [drums]: christiaan saris, ward deketelaere, yves goemaere, hannes nieuwlaet
translation < tom kleijn
dramaturgy < bart van den eynde, jan peter gerrits, alexander schreuder
costume design < lies van assche
scenography and light design < jan versweyveld
video < tal yarden

production toneelgroep amsterdam, coproduction Holland festival, De Munt / La Monnaie Brussel / Bruxelles, Kaaitheater Brussel / Bruxelles, Muziektheater Transparant, BL!NDMAN

BL!NDMAN is supported by the Arts Administration of the Ministry of the Flemish Community and the Flemish Community Commission of the Brussels-Capital Region. BL!NDMAN [sax] play Selmer Paris Saxophones.

ROMAN TRAGEDIES

Marathon-performance directed by Ivo van Hove, with fifteen actors of Toneelgroep Amsterdam & BL!NDMAN [drums].
Music by Eric Sleichim

Ivo van Hove stages three plays by Shakespeare – Coriolanus, Julius Caesar, Antonius & Cleopatra – as a continuous performance presenting the political act.
The ideals, opinions and personal aims of politicians are simply put next to each other, Shakespeare does not take sides.

The three Roman Tragedies show politics in all facets. Coriolanus is featured during the raise of the Roman Republique. The hero (Fedja van Huêt) refuses to accept the changing political constellation and is banished because of his rebellion against the people and its new representatives. Eventually he fights his hometown of Rome. Julius Caesar (Hugo Koolschijn) on the contrary gains his power because of the fact he knows how to handle the plebs. Certain politicians fear dictatorship and murder him to save democracy. In Anthony & Cleopatra, world politics and passionate love between the Roman Anthony (Hans Kesting) and the Egyptian Cleopatra (Chris Nietvelt) intertwine . Anthony’s inner conflict between public responsibility and the will of his heart eventually leads to a slaughter.

Politics, people and ideals
The Roman Tragedies are Shakespeare‘s foremost political plays. Other than his king drama’s they do not speak about the enjoyment of power but focus on political mechanisms and the social context. Without prejudice Shakespeare describes cause and consequence of political structures in a changing society. Three times he shows the success and failure of a politician, his ideals but also his personal motives that are involved.

ivo van hove

programme

The play is performed in Dutch with subtitles. The duration of the play is five and a half hours, with no intermission. During the performance the audience is invited to walk through the auditorium or on the stage for another view of the on stage action, or to enjoy food and beverages.

Premiere > Holland Festival 17 June 2007

william shakespeare > coriolanus, julius caesar, anthony & cleopatra


ROMAN TRAGEDIES played among others on the following locations:

2021
LIVESTREAM info & tickets: ita.nl
2020
ANNUL-Corona ! TOKYO (JPN)
2019
SEOUL (K)
2018
AMSTERDAM - Koninklijk Theater Carré
PARIS (FR) - Théâtre National de Chaillot
2017
LONDON (UK) - Barbican Centre
2014
ADELAIDE Festival (Australia)
2013
BARCELONA (E)
AMSTERDAM (NL) - stadsschouwburg
2012
AMSTERDAM (NL) - Stadsschouwburg
New York - Brooklyn (USA), BAM
2010
MONTREAL (Can) - Festival TransAmériques
QUEBEC (Can) - Grand Théâtre
2009
ZÜRICH (CH) - Zürcher Theater Spektakel
WROCLAW (PL)
UTRECHT (NL) - Stadsschouwburg
GRONINGEN (NL) - Stadsschouwburg De Oosterpoort
AMSTERDAM (NL) - Stadsschouwburg
LONDON (UK) - Barbican Centre
2008
WIEN (A) / WENEN / VIENNE - wiener festwochen
HANNOVER (D) - festival theaterformen
AVIGNON (FR) - Festival d'Avignon
ANTWERPEN / ANVERS - deSingel
AMSTERDAM (NL) - stadsschouwburg
2007
AMSTERDAM (NL) - Holland Festival - Stadsshouwburg
AMSTERDAM (NL) - Stadsschouwburg
EINDHOVEN (NL) - Parktheater
BRUSSEL / BRUXELLES - kaaitheater
ANTWERPEN / ANVERS - deSingel
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BL!NDMAN       contact info

Gallaitstraat 76-78
1030 Schaarbeek, Belgium
contact:

general and artistic direction:
management:   M +32 473 29 98 91
production and communication:   M +32 473 71 50 70
technical production:

BL!NDMAN is supported by the Arts Administration of the Ministry of the Flemish Community and the Flemish Community Commission of the Brussels-Capital Region. BL!NDMAN [sax] play Selmer Paris Saxophones.