A six-member jury made a selection from the performances which could be seen live and online in 2021.

"In the period after the first lockdown, and certainly when the cultural year burst into full swing early in September, there was such an eruption of creativity on our stages that it was not difficult to select ten performances that blew us away. Productions that moved us and the rest of the audience at a time when that was needed more than ever. At the same time, the theatre world did not stand still after the second lockdown. Behind the scenes, rehearsals were in full swing. Some productions were immediately premiered digitally, as a live stream or in some other form (podcast, whatsapp theatre, interactive online projects, etc.). Although as jury members we often missed the live experience, there were also digital and 'coronaproof' projects that overwhelmed us."

We are of course particularly proud that two Toneelhuis productions feature in the selection: Wereldtournee by Benjamin Verdonck and Wachten op Godot by Olympique Dramatique.

The Theaterjury:
"Olympique Dramatique's Wachten op Godot (Waiting for Godot) at Toneelhuis is all about time. While we endlessly wait with Vladimir and Estragon for (n)something, their fundamental loneliness and the meaninglessness of their existence resonate as never before with the topicality of this pandemic year. But even apart from this special colouring by our own present, the company once again succeeded in making this classic from the theatre repertoire come alive, among others thanks to the strong acting performances by Tom Van Dyck and Tom Dewispelaere."

"The scale of Waiting for Godot is as great as the ambition of Benjamin Verdonck and his Wereldtournee, also staged at Toneelhuis. With small 'miniature' performances and peepshows, he travelled for a year to all corners and population groups of the city of Antwerp, the world in miniature. Avoiding the familiar institutional framework (a hall, tickets, theatre conventions), he played unannounced to passers-by and inhabitants, which led to new, unexpected encounters. Wereldtournee was thus one of the few theatrical projects that was still live during the lockdown."