Antigone in Molenbeek
These performances are cancelled because the tour has been postponed due to the coronavirus.
In early 2016, the president of a major country labelled Molenbeek a ‘Hellhole’. Stefan Hertmans had already started working on Antigone in Molenbeek at that point. In this unrelenting tale, a young woman searches for the body of her dead brother. Referring to Sophocles’ tragedy, Hertmans wrote a relevant, compelling and poetic theatre monologue about empathizing with somebody who becomes completely isolated: the sister of a suicide bomber. Nouria only wants one thing, and that is to bury her brother – but the authorities will not release his mortal remains. When she tries to access the Forensic Centre where the corpse is stored, everything goes wrong. What is the extent of our humanity? Whom do we consider to be our fellow human and whom don’t we?
• Guy Cassiers directs actress Ikram Aoulad. The script engages in dialogue with the final string quartet by Dmitri Shostakovich, in which the composer said farewell to life.
regie Guy Cassiers | tekst Stefan Hertmans | Antigone in Molenbeek is een uitgave van De Bezige Bij | met Ikram Aoulad | vormgeving & video Charlotte Bouckaert | muziek Danel Quartet | productie Toneelhuis | coproductie Danel Kwartet | met de steun van Casa Kafka Pictures - Casa Kafka Pictures Tax Shelter empowered by Belfius
Antigone in Molenbeek staat als voorstelling op zichzelf maar vormt tegelijk een tweeluik met Tiresias.
Guy Cassiers: “Zowel Antigone als Tiresias verzetten zich tegen de politieke, sociale en seksuele categorieën die de samenleving hanteert. Ze onttrekken zich aan de hen opgelegde identiteit en eisen passioneel hun eigen stem en hun eigen verschil op. Dat drama wordt in beide verhalen nog versterkt door de muziek van Sjostakovitsj.