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Theatre

Hamlet

Toneelhuis, Kuiperskaai, Lisaboa Houbrechts

Lisaboa Houbrechts is putting the Lauwers-Barkey family, a real family, on stage to in order portray the canonical Hamlet family. In doing so, she is attempting to penetrate the essence of this primal tragedy.

Lisaboa Houbrechts & Kuiperskaai make theatre full of vitality and fantasy, as witnessed by their sparkling version of Shakespeare's The Winter's Tale (2016) and the daring 1095 (2017). Director Lisaboa Houbrechts evokes history in the form of a ritual deed, revealing human nature as a series of passionate urges by presenting historical stories and classical repertoire.

Now Lisaboa Houbrechts is tackling Hamlet. Approaching the play from the female perspective, she focuses on the destructive relation between Hamlet and Queen Gertrude, his mother. Houbrechts points up Gertrude’s innocence, and in doing so positions her at the heart of the company’s repertoire.

Lisaboa Houbrechts has asked the actress Grace Ellen Barkey to play the role of the militant Gertrude. Appearing together with her son Victor Lauwers as prince Hamlet, and her daughter Romy Louise Lauwers in the role of Ophelia, this is the first time that Grace Ellen will be seen in a Kuiperskaai production.

This is not a Hamlet that obediently colours within the lines, but an idiosyncratic adaptation that boldly opens up new perspectives.

Jan Dertaelen in De Morgen , 24 September 2018

"Lisaboa Houbrechts and Kuiperskaai tackle Hamlet with daring and bravura, proving that they are an artists’ collective to be reckoned with."

"At the age of 27, looking at the world of Shakespeare through feminist eyes, Lisaboa Houbrechts is making a terrific entrance in the small community of the European theatre scene."

"What’s more, Houbrechts' staging is a free adaptation. Not just because she emphasizes the female aspects more than Shakespeare does. The text of the play (in Dutch with German surtitles) is also 2.0 in a sense; only here and there do the famous original citations filter through."

script based on

  • William Shakespeare

direction, adaptation

  • Lisaboa Houbrechts

translation

  • Victor Lauwers

with

  • Grace Ellen Barkey
  • Victor Lauwers
  • Romy Louise Lauwers
  • Lobke Leirens
  • Seppe Decubber
  • Maxime Rouquart

assistance of the director

  • Pauwel Hertmans

scenography

  • Oscar van der Put

costume design

  • Sietske Van Aerde

music

  • Maxime Rouquart

light design

  • Ken Hioco
  • Oscar van der Put

cello

  • Simon Lenski

piano

  • Claire Chevallier

violin

  • Wietse Beels

trainee assistant to the director

  • Kyra Verreydt

production

  • P.U.L.S. - Project for Upcoming Artists for the Large Stage
  • Toneelhuis
  • Kuiperskaai

coproduction

  • Needcompany
  • Künstlerhaus Mousonturm Frankfurt am Main

contrabas

  • Kristof Roseeuw

with the support of

  • Tax Shelter maatregel v/d Belgische Federale Overheid
  • Casa Kafka Pictures Tax Shelter powered by Belfius

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  1. Saturday 22 September 2018 — 20h00 — Bourlaschouwburg, Antwerpen
  2. Sunday 23 September 2018 — 15h00 — Bourlaschouwburg, Antwerpen
  3. Saturday 29 September 2018 — Kaaitheater, Brussel
  4. Saturday 6 October 2018 — CC Gildhof, Tielt
  5. Thursday 14 February 2019 — CC Belgica, Dendermonde
  6. Saturday 16 February 2019 — 20h00 — CC De Werf, Aalst
  7. Tuesday 19 February 2019 — 20h00 — Bourlaschouwburg, Antwerpen
  8. Wednesday 20 February 2019 — 20h00 — Bourlaschouwburg, Antwerpen
  9. Tuesday 26 February 2019 — Le Phénix, Valenciennes
  10. Thursday 28 February 2019 — 20h00 — 30CC/Schouwburg, Leuven
  11. Saturday 2 March 2019 — 20h00 — De Grote Post, Oostende
  12. Friday 15 March 2019 — NTGent/Minnemeers, Gent
  13. Saturday 16 March 2019 — NTGent/Minnemeers, Gent
  14. Thursday 21 March 2019 — theater arsenaal, Mechelen
  15. Wednesday 24 April 2019 — 20h30 — CC De Velinx, Tongeren
  16. Friday 3 May 2019 — Monty, Antwerpen
  17. Wednesday 5 June 2019 — Künstlerhaus Mousonturm, Frankfurt am Main
  18. Thursday 6 June 2019 — Künstlerhaus Mousonturm, Frankfurt am Main
  19. Cancelled: Wednesday 8 April 2020 — 19h30 — MC93, Bobigny
  20. Cancelled: Thursday 9 April 2020 — 19h30 — MC93, Bobigny
  21. Cancelled: Friday 10 April 2020 — 20h30 — MC93, Bobigny
  22. Cancelled: Saturday 11 April 2020 — 18h30 — MC93, Bobigny
  23. Cancelled: Sunday 12 April 2020 — 15h30 — MC93, Bobigny
  24. Cancelled: Saturday 18 April 2020 — 20h00 — CC Ter Vesten, Beveren

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