Theatre

Mefisto for ever

Triptiek van de macht I

Guy Cassiers, Toneelhuis

Mefisto for ever is an adaptation by the author Tom Lanoye of Klaus Mann’s novel Mephisto. In this biographical novel, published in 1936, Klaus Mann deals with an actor/theatre director who collaborated with the Nazi regime.

The starting point of the performance is a clear historical situation. After the extreme right party has entered into power, a theatre company is reflecting on where things should be going from here. Some of the actors leave the country and choose to go into exile to offer resistance from abroad.

Theatre director and star actor Kurt Köpler – the name of the leading character in Lanoye’s revision – on the other hand He thinks he is able to fight the regime from within. Beauty is the artist’s weapon. But how long can you keep it up? Where does the strategy end, and where does the fatale compromise start? Guy Cassiers and Tom Lanoye adapted Mephisto into a contemporary fable about art and politics, integrity and betrayal, passion and opportunism. Mefisto for ever mixes Tom Lanoye’s satirical seriousness, Guy Cassiers technological theatricality and a strong cast, with an explosive cocktail as a result. It is contemporary theatre about contemporary things…

TRIPTYCH OF POWER

After his impressive Proust cycle, a poignant and subdued theatrical meditation about memory and lost time, Guy Cassiers focuses on the complex connection between art, politics and power in a new trilogy, the Triptych of Power.

The first part Mefisto for ever, based on the novel Mephisto by Klaus Mann, was first performed in the autumn of 2006. Cassiers got his inspiration for the second part Wolfskers in three film scenarios from the Russian movie director Aleksandr Sokurov about Lenin, Hitler and Hirohito. The third part Atropa. Avenging peace reaches back to the Greek tragedies and more specifically those featuring the Trojan War.

Although the three parts can be viewed as separate performances, also in this case the whole is more than just the sum of its parts. Just like in the case of the Proust cycle the trilogy offers the possibility of deepening and broadening the theme. As the trilogy builds up, more and more echoes are sounding along.

Mefisto for ever narrates the story of (diabolical) seduction by power. Wolfskers is the story of poisoning by power (Wolfskers is the name of a poisonous plant). And finally Atropa. Avenging peace tells the story of the agony of power (as well as a family of poisonous plants, Atropa is the name of one of the Greek Fates who cuts the thread of life).

director

  • Guy Cassiers

text

  • Tom Lanoye

after

  • Klaus Mann

performance

  • Dirk Roofthooft
  • Gilda De Bal
  • Abke Haring
  • Katelijne Damen
  • Marc Van Eeghem
  • Suzanne Grotenhuis
  • Josse De Pauw
  • Vic De Wachter

scenography

  • Marc Warning

styling, set design

  • Enrico Bagnoli
  • Diederik De Cock
  • Arjen Klerkx

costume design

  • Tim Van Steenbergen

movie dramaturgy

  • Erwin Jans
  • Corien Baart

production

  • Toneelhuis
  • Toneelhuis

thanks to

  • Katelijne Verbeke
  • Peter Gorissen
  • Stefan Perceval
  • Ariane van Vliet

All data

There are no upcoming activities for this event.

  1. Thursday 12 October 2006 — Bourlaschouwburg, Antwerpen
  2. Friday 13 October 2006 — Bourlaschouwburg, Antwerpen
  3. Saturday 14 October 2006 — Bourlaschouwburg, Antwerpen
  4. Wednesday 18 October 2006 — Bourlaschouwburg, Antwerpen
  5. Thursday 19 October 2006 — Bourlaschouwburg, Antwerpen
  6. Friday 20 October 2006 — Bourlaschouwburg, Antwerpen
  7. Saturday 21 October 2006 — Bourlaschouwburg, Antwerpen
  8. Wednesday 25 October 2006 — Bourlaschouwburg, Antwerpen
  9. Thursday 26 October 2006 — Bourlaschouwburg, Antwerpen
  10. Friday 27 October 2006 — Bourlaschouwburg, Antwerpen
  11. Saturday 28 October 2006 — Bourlaschouwburg, Antwerpen
  12. Saturday 4 November 2006 — CCHA, Hasselt
  13. Thursday 16 November 2006 — VIERNULVIER/Theaterzaal, Gent
  14. Friday 17 November 2006 — VIERNULVIER/Theaterzaal, Gent
  15. Saturday 18 November 2006 — VIERNULVIER/Theaterzaal, Gent
  16. Tuesday 21 November 2006 — CC Brugge/Stadsschouwburg, Brugge
  17. Wednesday 22 November 2006 — CC Brugge/Stadsschouwburg, Brugge
  18. Friday 24 November 2006 — Kaaitheater, Brussel
  19. Saturday 25 November 2006 — Kaaitheater, Brussel
  20. Monday 27 November 2006 — 30CC/Schouwburg, Leuven
  21. Saturday 2 December 2006 — Theater Rotterdam, Rotterdam
  22. Sunday 3 December 2006 — Theater Rotterdam, Rotterdam
  23. Wednesday 6 December 2006 — SPOT Groningen, Groningen
  24. Friday 8 December 2006 — Theater De Spiegel, Zwolle
  25. Tuesday 12 December 2006 — Grote zaal ITA, Amsterdam
  26. Friday 15 December 2006 — Bourlaschouwburg, Antwerpen
  27. Saturday 16 December 2006 — Bourlaschouwburg, Antwerpen
  28. Sunday 17 December 2006 — Bourlaschouwburg, Antwerpen
  29. Tuesday 19 December 2006 — Bourlaschouwburg, Antwerpen
  30. Wednesday 20 December 2006 — Bourlaschouwburg, Antwerpen
  31. Thursday 21 December 2006 — Bourlaschouwburg, Antwerpen
  32. Friday 22 December 2006 — Bourlaschouwburg, Antwerpen
  33. Tuesday 17 July 2007 — Festival d'Avignon - Opéra Théâtre d'Avignon, Avignon
  34. Wednesday 18 July 2007 — Festival d'Avignon - Opéra Théâtre d'Avignon, Avignon
  35. Thursday 19 July 2007 — Festival d'Avignon - Opéra Théâtre d'Avignon, Avignon
  36. Friday 20 July 2007 — Festival d'Avignon - Opéra Théâtre d'Avignon, Avignon
  37. Sunday 22 July 2007 — Festival d'Avignon - Opéra Théâtre d'Avignon, Avignon
  38. Monday 23 July 2007 — Festival d'Avignon - Opéra Théâtre d'Avignon, Avignon
  39. Tuesday 24 July 2007 — Festival d'Avignon - Opéra Théâtre d'Avignon, Avignon
  40. Friday 7 September 2007 — Nederlands Theaterfestival, Amsterdam
  41. Saturday 8 September 2007 — Nederlands Theaterfestival, Amsterdam
  42. Wednesday 12 September 2007 — 21h00 — Bourlaschouwburg, Antwerpen
  43. Thursday 13 September 2007 — 21h00 — Bourlaschouwburg, Antwerpen
  44. Friday 14 September 2007 — 21h00 — Bourlaschouwburg, Antwerpen
  45. Saturday 15 September 2007 — 21h00 — Bourlaschouwburg, Antwerpen
  46. Saturday 6 September 2008 — 21h00 — Bourlaschouwburg, Antwerpen
  47. Saturday 13 September 2008 — 21h00 — Bourlaschouwburg, Antwerpen
  48. Friday 19 September 2008 — 21h00 — Théâtre de la Ville, Parijs
  49. Saturday 20 September 2008 — 21h00 — Théâtre de la Ville, Parijs
  50. Monday 22 September 2008 — 21h00 — Théâtre de la Ville, Parijs
  51. Tuesday 23 September 2008 — 21h00 — Théâtre de la Ville, Parijs
  52. Wednesday 24 September 2008 — 21h00 — Théâtre de la Ville, Parijs
  53. Thursday 25 September 2008 — 21h00 — Théâtre de la Ville, Parijs
  54. Friday 26 September 2008 — 21h00 — Théâtre de la Ville, Parijs
  55. Saturday 27 September 2008 — 21h00 — Théâtre de la Ville, Parijs
  56. Thursday 16 October 2008 — 21h00 — TnBA - Théâtre National de Bordeaux en Aquitaine, Bordeaux
  57. Friday 17 October 2008 — 21h00 — TnBA - Théâtre National de Bordeaux en Aquitaine, Bordeaux
  58. Saturday 18 October 2008 — 21h00 — TnBA - Théâtre National de Bordeaux en Aquitaine, Bordeaux
  59. Tuesday 21 October 2008 — 21h00 — Kaaitheater, Brussel
  60. Friday 7 November 2008 — 20h00 — La Comédie de Reims, Reims
  61. Saturday 8 November 2008 — 20h00 — La Comédie de Reims, Reims
  62. Thursday 13 November 2008 — 20h00 — MC2, Grenoble
  63. Friday 14 November 2008 — 20h00 — MC2, Grenoble
  64. Saturday 15 November 2008 — 20h00 — MC2, Grenoble
  65. Tuesday 25 November 2008 — 20h00 — Scène Nationale de Martigues, Martigues
  66. Wednesday 26 November 2008 — 20h00 — Scène Nationale de Martigues, Martigues
  67. Saturday 29 November 2008 — 20h00 — Théâtre de Saint-Quentin-en-Yvelines, Saint-Quentin-en-Yvelines
  68. Thursday 4 December 2008 — 20h00 — Teatre Lliure, Barcelona
  69. Friday 5 December 2008 — 20h00 — Teatre Lliure, Barcelona
  70. Thursday 11 December 2008 — 20h00 — Palais des Beaux Arts, Charleroi
  71. Friday 12 December 2008 — 20h00 — Palais des Beaux Arts, Charleroi
  72. Wednesday 17 December 2008 — 20h00 — Centre Dramatique National/Théâtre d'Orléans, Orléans
  73. Thursday 18 December 2008 — 20h00 — Centre Dramatique National/Théâtre d'Orléans, Orléans
  74. Friday 19 December 2008 — 20h00 — Centre Dramatique National/Théâtre d'Orléans, Orléans
  75. Tuesday 6 January 2009 — 20h00 — Maison de la Culture, Amiens
  76. Tuesday 13 January 2009 — 20h00 — Linz 2009, Linz
  77. Wednesday 14 January 2009 — 20h00 — Linz 2009, Linz
  78. Tuesday 27 January 2009 — 20h00 — Les Théâtres de la Ville de Luxembourg, Luxemburg
  79. Thursday 11 June 2009 — 21h00 — Athens Epidaurus Festival, Athene, Athene
  80. Friday 12 June 2009 — 21h00 — Athens Epidaurus Festival, Athene, Athene
  81. Saturday 13 June 2009 — 21h00 — Athens Epidaurus Festival, Athene, Athene

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