Flemish theatre collective rages against the machine in new play
SKaGen's new play tells the story of what happens when ordinary citizens run up against big structures and institutions
Human machines
“In fact, walking around, we were a bit shocked that they were still serving Shakespeare rehashed at this prime European theatre festival,” says Korneel Hamers, one of three stars of the play.
And that’s exactly the opposite of what this Antwerp collective is going for. Founded 15 years ago, SKaGeN is today a household name in Flemish theatre, and the group has produced highly acclaimed monologues and smartly adapted ensemble pieces.
PARDON! Sorry dat ik leef also stars Clara van den Broek and Valentijn Dhaenens (pictured), the latter of whom recently garnered laurels with his Bigmouth and Small War monologues.
Inspired by a documentary by French photographer Raymond Depardon about public prosecutor grillings of a number of defendants in a Paris court, PARDON! tells the story of what happens when ordinary citizens run up against big structures and institutions.
“Basically, all our plays deal with the human condition, and law courts are the pre-eminent places where this is exposed,” Dhaenens explains. “In our stage adaptation of Depardon’s text, the actors constantly flip from one character to the next and unravel a tension between man and machine, between humanity and the system.”
In doing so, the actors and directors hope the audience will develop a degree of empathy for participants on either side of the table: “For the culprit, who’s processed in a routine system,” says van den Broek, “but also for the prosecutor, who has to come up with a balanced judgement for every single suspect.” (In Dutch)
Until 12 January across Flanders
