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In the middle of the city, where everything converges
Times Square, Museumplein, Plaza de Mayo, Place de la Concorde, Trafalgar Square, Piazza Mancini, Alexander Platz. Islands in the city. Each with its own identity. Designed by architects as meeting place or way station, as tribute or landmark. For inauguration or trade, for wedding or funeral, for peace or revolution.
After the success of their wordless trilogy False Waltz – Couch – Sigh,
Ria Marks and Titus Tiel Groenestege have gone on to make another inventive theatre piece with Orkater, taking the square as their source of inspiration. Together with an impressive array of young and international theatre makers, architect Jord den Hollander, composor Michel Banabila and director-in-chief Ko van den Bosch, Marks and Tiel Groenestege have created their own square : ISLAND.
Ria Marks and Titus Tiel Groenestege are attached to music-theatre company Orkater as regular theatre makers. Marks and Tiel Groenestege have developed their own visual language with Orkater: wordless dialogues about interpersonal relationships, making use of everyday actions which, through repetition, enlargement or deformation, take on their own specific theatrical eloquence. Music provides the keynote that drives the drama.
For ISLAND the music was specially composed by Michel Banabila, who combines jazz influences with samples of everyday sounds. In a metropolitan decor, designed by architect/designer Jord den Hollander, Banabila’s urban soundscape flings the performers round all four corners of the square. For ISLAND a colourful retinue of young international performing artists from various backgrounds and disciplines were gathered together – the original concept was Marks’ and Tiel Groenestege’s, but ISLAND finally came together in the rehearsal room, with the input of all the performers. Because of the universal theme and the absence of text, the performance is suitable for an international audience.
The three short performances False Waltz – Couch – Sigh, about three stages in a love affair, were performed individually, as well as consecutively on the same evening, and toured nationally in the Netherlands as well as internationally, attracting total audiences of more than 65,000. The film False Waltz was premiered in December 05, directed by Mark de Cloe, and based on the characters and choreography from the stage production.
concept Ria Marks en Titus Tiel Groenestege
performers Jakop Ahlbom, Carola Bärtschiger, Titus Tiel Groenestege, Sylvie Huysman, Fabian Jansen, Ria Marks, Fabián Santarciel de la Quintana, Jochem Stavenuiter, Leela May Stokholm
music Michel Banabila decor Jord den Hollander
lighting design Stefan Dijkman
costumes Bernadette Corstens final direction Ko van den Bosch
ISLAND toured to over 25 theatres in the Netherlands during 2005.
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