
Whereas FC Bergman’s production The Sheep Song (2021) was a paean to the freedom of the individual and the manipulability of life, Werken en dagen is a veritable ode to the unstoppable power of the group and the boundless power of nature. Although in a way it also – and inevitably – becomes an elegy.
It’s thrilling to encounter a piece so brilliant and striking that as soon as it ends, you’re desperate to watch it all over again. This is one of those rare pieces.
Audacious and surprising at every turn, Works and Days is a real treat for theatre lovers. FC Bergman’s daring creativity is endlessly fascinating and what I’d give to be a fly on the wall in their rehearsal room, to witness the journey from concept to creation.
Yes, it’s true that in this production you’ll ruminate on humankind’s relationship to land, and the unfolding of industry. It’s also true that presenting works that reflecting our understanding of the climate crisis is important. But so too is the opportunity to experience total, unadulterated theatrical joy.
"With Werken en dagen , FC Bergman once again pushes back frontiers. Their superb swansong for collective farming is already the ecological wake-up call of the season. (...) You see the paintings of Bruegel and Permeke, of Claus and Millet, but especially of FC Bergman. As such, Werken en dagen is a classic example of imaginative representation."
"It is an alarming and at the same time extraordinarily beautiful image of humanity gone astray: people will never make it on their own, but as a group they become overconfident, lose sight of nature, and therefore go down just the same. Left or right, it is bad news for that splendidly ploughing, planting, plodding human being."
"‘Werken en dagen’ is sublime in the way it uses the craft of theatre very carefully and sparingly to show what we as human beings have lost forever by not treating the natural environment sparingly and carefully. (...) ' Werken en dagen' is a theatre show that’s like a painting by Permeke: raw, striking and ravishingly composed."
"With Werken en dagen , theatre company FC Bergman reflects on the loss of the farming way of life and the need for connection. The wordless performance brims with clever theatrical images that also often hurt. (...) FC Bergman dishes up artfully constructed painterly scenes, but their intent is far from casual. With every scene, you ponder its meaning."
"FC Bergman once again provides spectacle with exciting images about the relation between people and farming (...) The seasons follow one another, and the rites of passage of human beings also come into focus. Birth, growing up, living together, death. All of this is inventively portrayed, with references to iconic paintings and sculptures.… The images are often pregnant with meaning, technically surprising and ingenious."
"Over the years, FC Bergman has perfected the art of representation. Visuals, lighting and music are employed with breathtaking effectiveness (and the requisite humour) (...) Werken en dagen is a magnificently designed warning about the loss of community."
"I’m mesmerised, there are so many dimensions to this community and I’m engaged every time we go deeper into their workings. They do horrible and beautiful acts with equal measure, they’re focused and determined because of an implicit awareness of something greater than themselves."
"FC Bergman have developed a brilliant way of letting a story unfold before an audience in both a workaday but fast-paced way. (...) The performers move with precision and a synchronicity that isn’t obvious. They are a delight to watch. From building a barn and treading the wood with their feet in a Haka-like dance, to the near pornographic way in which their naked bodies wrap around the steam engine, seduced by its power."
"Imágenes maravillosas que van de Millet –fantástica Fumiyu Ikedo tratando de arrastrar el arado empapada por la lluvia- a Sorolla con sus cuerpos brillantes y desnudos, para terminar con un cuadro futurista con robot y explosión de piñas tropicales. Toda la pieza, además, está maravillosamente armonizada con los instrumentos y las voces de Badenhorst y Carpio, músicos tan excepcionales como los ocho actores –niña incluida- que la hacen posible."
"Una maestosa allegoria che diventa un'invocazione a ripensare i nostri ecosistemi per coltivare tempi e spazi che ci riconnettano alla Madre Terra."
direction, scenario, scenography
- Stef Aerts
- Joé Agemans
- Thomas Verstraeten
- Marie Vinck
performers
- Stef Aerts
- Joé Agemans
- Maryam Sserwamukoko
- Thomas Verstraeten/Yorrith De Bakker
- Marie Vinck/Gudrun Ghesquiere
- Fumiyo Ikeda/Sigrid Vinks
- Geert Goossens/Paul Schrijvers
- Roos Janssens/Susan De Ceuster/Bonnie Elias
musical composition and live performance
- Joachim Badenhorst
- Sean Carpio
costume design
- An D'Huys
light design
- Stef Aerts
- Joé Agemans
- Ken Hioco
production
- Toneelhuis
- FC Bergman
coproduction
- Piccolo Teatro di Milano - Teatro d'Europa
- Les Théâtres de la Ville de Luxembourg
with the support of
- de Tax Shelter maatregel v/d Belgische federale overheid via Gallop Tax Shelter