Horror in-theatre program

BRISBANE FESTIVAL AND DATACOM PRESENT

JAKOP AHLBOM company (NLD)

Brisbane Festival is an initiative of the Queensland Government and Brisbane City Council

HORROR

Director’s Note

P L AY H O U S E , Queensland Performing Arts Centre 26 – 29 September

Since I was a child, I have a love for horror movies, because they bring you into a surreal world where all our fears are visualized. My theatre is visual and physical. I use a lot of

BRISBANE FESTIVAL ARTISTIC DIRECTOR’S NOTE

different technical and visual effects to bring

This year’s Brisbane Festival makes much

never experienced like this before.

of the joys and jolts to be found in illusion.

In my early teens I watched any horror film

HOME, wordlessly, gave us warm magic.

I could get my hands on. I was gripped by

House of Mirrors plays with light and mirrors

the absurd fantasies, the special effects, the

and Séance with darkness and sound

extreme events, the dark unknown and the

to distort reality and conjure suggestion.

adrenaline kick. Horror author Lovecraft wrote:

You will find magicians elsewhere, too.

‘The oldest and strongest emotion of mankind

Horror, again wordlessly, uses light, illusion

is fear. And the oldest and strongest kind

and physical trickery to bring us something

of fear is fear of the unknown.’ This is the

that is scary, but also poetic, dramatic, and

deeply hidden fear that I want to bring to life

funny. This is not about digital effects. This

in Horror. How should you deal with a traumatic

is the magic of bodies and props and the

past? Should you face up to it so you can get

mechanics of the stage.

on with your life? And how does the victim

Jakop Ahlbom is a master of the stage. His

deal with a sense of guilt?

homage to horror, and to the great movies

Making Horror gave me the opportunity

spawned by our deep-seated fascination

to delve into this, but also face the unique

with being scared, is here to make us grip

challenge of translating the surreal imagery,

our seats, but to grin, too.

the black humour, and the horror special

David Berthold

effects to the theatre.

my audience into a world they hopefully

Jakop Ahlbom

QPAC EMERGENCY

ACKNOWLEDGEMENT OF COUNTRY

Patrons are advised that the Performing Arts Centre has EMERGENCY EVACUATION PROCEDURES, a FIRE ALARM system and EXIT passageways. In case of an alert, patrons should remain calm, look for the closest EXIT sign in GREEN, listen to and comply with directions given by the in house trained attendants and move in an orderly fashion to the open spaces outside the Centre.

In keeping with the spirit of reconciliation, we acknowledge the Traditional Owners of Brisbane, the Turrubul and Jagara Yuggera Peoples, and recognise that this has always been a place of creative expression. We wish to pay respect to their Elders – past, present and emerging – and acknowledge the important role Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people continue to play within our creative community.

Front cover image by Sanne Peper

JAKOP AHLBOM

ANDREA BEUGGER

Concept and Direction

Performer/Mother

Jakop Ahlbom was born

Born and raised in Switzerland,

in Sweden in 1971. In the

Andrea Beugger started

early 1990s, he moved to the

dancing at the age of four.

Netherlands where he studied

In 1993, Andrea graduated

mime at the Amsterdam School of the Arts.

from the Rotterdam Academy of Arts. Her

Upon his graduation in 1998, Jakop was

impressive career includes work with Krisztina

presented with the Top Naeff award for the most

de Chatel, Karina Holla, Danstheater Aya,

promising student. His gift for choreography

Schweigman, Dylan Newcomb and Peter

had been noticed – and so had his poeticism

Greeneway. Andrea has undertaken a large

and his ability to enervate his cast to unleash

number of collaborations, worked as a

their energy, bravado and physicality. After

choreographer, workshop leader, coach,

graduating, Ahlbom worked with a variety of

dramaturge and co-founded the music

theatre makers as a performer, choreographer

theatre company Pra.

and director. In 2000, he started working on his own, idiosyncratic oeuvre, which includes Stella Maris (2000), Nur zur Erinnerung (2002),

thomas van ouwerkerk

Lost (2004), Vielfalt (2006), De Architect (2008),

Performer Youngest sister’s boyfriend

Innenschau (2010), Lebensraum (2012), Bug (2014)

Thomas van Ouwerkerk

and Horror (2014).

graduated from the School of Acting in Utrecht in 2011

luc van esch Performer/Father Luc van Esch graduated from the Mime Department at the Amsterdam School of the Arts in 1996. He went on to work professionally with Els Inc., Aya dance Theatre Company, Erik Whien, Keren Cytter, Jochen Stechmann, Danielle van Vree and many others. Luc produced his own work through his theatre company Ubbergen until 2008, when he graduated from DasArts Advanced Theatre and Performance Studies. In addition to his work as a performer, he is a freelance director.

and did a short-term education at L’Ecole Philippe Gaulier in Paris. Thomas is working as a physical actor and has been working with companies, such as Familie Flöz (DE), Abattoir Fermé (BE) and Theatre Hotel Courage (NL).

Thomas performed at the London International Mime Festival with Horror in 2015 and with Teatro Delusio in 2017. Additionally he is part of the collective ’Thomas, Sacha and Jos’, a trio of actors/theatremakers who are integrating storytelling with objects, visuals, music and acting.

YA N N I C K g r e w e l d i n g e r

SILKE HUNDERTMARK

Performer Youngest sister’s friend

Performer/Youngest sister

Yannick Greweldinger

Silke Hundertmark graduated in Modern Theatre Dance

graduated from the Mime

in Amsterdam in 1998.

Department at Amsterdam School of the Arts in 2011. He has performed in plays by Ivana Muller and Oystein Johansen. Together with Dwayne Toemere, Yannick directs his own works as part of Mimetheatergroep Botlek.

Post-graduation, Silke began working intensively with Jakop Ahlbom.

She also works with various choreographers in the Netherlands and Germany, including Antje Pfundtner and Andrew Morrish, regularly performing for artist-puppeteer Ulrike Quade.

Silke previously performed in Jakop Ahlbom’s

REINIER SCHIMMEL

Stella Maris, Lost, Nur zur Erinnerung, Vielfalt,

Performer/Groom

Innenschau and Lebensraum. For her role as

Reinier Schimmel graduated

the doll in Lebensraum, Silke was nominated

in 1995 from the Expressionist

for the prestigious Colombina Award for the

Dance Theatre Department

best female supporting role in the 2011-2012

at the Tilburg Dance Academy.

theatre season.

As a dancer, Reiner has performed in works by choreographers Ismaël Ivo, Johann Kresnik, Ruby Edelman, Pia Meuthen, Piet Rogie and Suzy Blok. Reiner has acted in several plays

GWEN LANGENBERG Performer/Eldest sister Gwen Langenberg graduated

for Theatercompagnie directed by Theu

in 1998 as a dancer from the

Boermans, for whom he played the part of

Amsterdam School of the Arts.

Bram Goudschmidt in the musical Soldaat Van Oranje for an entire season.

Gwen has worked in film and dance theatre for adult and young audiences.

She has worked for Theatergroep Siberia,

Sofieke de kater

Compagnie Squeeze, Theatre Espace, Joop

Performer/Bride

van den Ende, Suzy Blok, Saskia Bodeke and

Sofieke de Kater graduated

Peter Greenaway, Danstheater Aya and Cecilia

from the Toneelschool

Moisi. Gwen previously performed in Jakop

en Kleinkunstacademie in

Ahlbom’s Innenschau, Vielfalt, Het Leven Een

Amsterdam in 2009. She

Gebruiksaanwijzing and Hoffmann.

went on to perform in film and theatre. Her acting credits include work for Toneelgroep De Appel, Huis van Bourgondië and Stichting Nieuwe Helden.

CAST AND CREDITS Concept and Direction Jakop Ahlbom Cast Yannick Greweldinger, Luc van Esch, Thomas van Ouwerkerk, Reinier Schimmel, Sofieke de Kater, Andrea Beugger, Gwen Langenberg and Silke Hundertmark Dramaturge Judith Wendel Design Douwe Hibma, Jakop Ahlbom and Remco Gianotten (Assistant) Music design Wim Conradi with Bauke Moerman Costume design Esmee Thomassen and Kyra Wessel (Assistant)

Special props and Make-up Rob Hillenbrink Make-up and Hair Nienke Algra Lighting design Yuri Schreuders Technicians Tom Vollebregt, Yuri Schreuders, Allard Vonk, Michel van der Weijden, Zico Out and Bernard Peeters Management and international sales Marc Pil Production and Tour Manager Sarah Faye van der Ploeg Cast (not touring in Brisbane) Judith Hazeleger and Maurits van den Berg

Brisbane Festival Chair Paul Spiro Deputy Chair Philip Bacon AM Artistic Director David Berthold Chief Executive Officer Charlie Cush

Production image by Sanne Peper

Horror by Jakop Ahlbom Company is generously supported by the Performing Arts Fund NL.

GET LOST IN THIS LIFE-SIZED KALEIDOSCOPE!

“A brilliant twist on the old fairground classic.”

T H E D A I LY R E V I E W

house of mirrors CREATIVE PRODUCTION SERVICES (AUS)

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