Artemis stond met Oorlog/WAR op het Young at Art festival in Belfast. Noord Ierland. Niet eerder speelden we de voorstelling in een land dat letterlijk werd verscheurd door conflict. Eiblhin de Barra, directeur van het festival stuitte op onze voorstelling en haalde hem zonder omwegen naar haar festival. Temidden van deze deskundologen “maken wij slechts een voorstelling”.

Hoe pakte dat uit?

“…Theater Artemis know exactly what they’re doing and how they’re doing it. Their cluttered set, along with their cluttered narrative, defies easy explanation, but so does war itself. Just like Oorlog’s trio of uniformed soldiers at war with both themselves and their audience. But it’s a playful kind of war, naturally.”

De spelers hebben ondanks de juichende reacties wel gevoeld dat er een ander publiek in de zaal zat. Voor hun is een nieuwe dimensie toegevoegd, en dat is waardevol. Net als de enorme bevlogenheid, betrokkenheid en professionaliteit die we hebben ontmoet, van medewerkers t/m journalisten. In de verder regenachtige stad was Young at Art echt even the place to be.

“If the pacing of the clowning, a strength in its own right, prevents the overall emotional connection from being as powerful as it should be, Oorlog remains a novel and nimble undertaking with surprising poignancy at the best of moments. In short, a worthy opener for the Belfast Children’s Festival.” >>

Simon Fallaha – 9 maart 2019

“Oorlog is a playful worked example, walking through the glossary of conflict, introducing the different phases of battle as well as the fog of confusion and exhaustion that at times can be seen to eliminate clear-thinking and logic. Even the non-physical elements like sounds and language are used to gently teach the entertaining lessons.” >>

Alan in Belfast – maart 2019

Tristan en Kallista  “in stitches laughing out loud throughout most of the performance”:

“I think it was really funny. My favourite part was at the beginning when everything was falling over, that was really fun. It was hilarious!”

Tristan, age 11

“I loved it! It’s different from what you’d expect or imagine it. It was actually nice and fun to watch. My favourite part…that’s tough, it was the bird eating the orange, and when they popped the balloon (using a pole through a hole in the wall), and when the guy had his nose bleeding and had the duct tape on (around his whole head).”

Kallista, age 8

Meer bezoekersreacties:

“I loved it. Very interesting play. It was very interactive with the audience. I hardly expected anything that happened.”
“I think it’s the best show I’ve seen in a very long time.”
“Funny, really good. So good there could be a part two, that’s how much I liked it.”
“Where on earth did the pigeon come from?”
“It was funny, sad and confusing”
“I liked the way they made all the noises”
“Better than Mac Beth by the National Theatre.”