"Dreams and restless thoughts came flowing to me from the waters of the river. More and more, I became aware that the love shown to me by others would not ultimately be able to make me completely happy, to give me the peace and serenity that I long for so much." - Siddhartha

An inner voice prompts Siddhartha to leave his home. He wanders many paths before he finds satisfaction in the paradoxes of life. Houbrechts turns Hermann Hesse’s allegorical narrative about Buddha’s historical namesake into the story of the life of a young woman who tries to discover her soul.

In her poetic adaptation, Lisaboa Houbrechts reveals a polyphony that unites cultures and arts, reinvents characters and plays with gender roles. Siddhartha is performed by singer-songwriter Meskerem Mees. With music by Caroline Shaw – performed live by the 24-member Latvian Radio Choir – Siddhartha unites theatre, modern opera, pop improvisations, Sufi chanting and Indian dance.

After its world premiere in the imposing Maschinenhalle Zweckel in Gladbeck during the Ruhr Triennale, Siddhartha can be seen in Antwerp on location in the scenery depot of the Kambala.