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.
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