SCHWALBE CHEATS

Who are we, when forced into a corner? Who are we if the other person is weaker? Or if the other person does not keep to the rules?

You try to save yourself with the sentence ‘it’s only a game’, but the moment you say this, it’s already too late to step back into reality.

The dark side of man – which you hope, or believe, is not in you – is revealed in this performance. By playing a game, the borders between real and fake, and between surrendering yourself and simply watching, slowly fade.

We see the game as a framed reality in which different rules apply than in daily life. It starts as fun, but ends in a grim battle, in which facets of people come to the surface that we wouldn’t normally witness in day-to-day life. It questions how fragile our civilisation is. We created civilisation, but that doesn’t mean that we have actually become civilised ourselves.

‘Very slowly, more aggression creeps into the fanaticism, the lightness disappears, and lines are crossed, generating fury, and meanness. Everyone, both in the audience and on stage, know that it is just a game. But the question is, who will be the first to forget this?’ (Marijn van der Jagt, VN 13-10-12)

‘What apparently begins as child’s play, develops into a gladiator fight, because when it comes down to life and death, mercy is hard to find.’ (Theaterkrant.nl)

’The layer of civilisation was found to be shockingly thin, in the wonderful performanceSchwalbe speelt vals.’

(Robbert van Heuven, theatre critic for Trouw, culture journalist)

CREDITS

Concept and performance: Christina Flick, Melih Gençboyaci, Marie Groothof, Hilde Labadie, Floor van Leeuwen, Kimmy Ligtvoet, Ariadna Rubio Lleó, Daan Simons

Design and technique: Joost Giesken and Dave Staring

Costumes: Sarah Hakkenberg

Final direction: Tim Etchells

Lead production: Joost Allema

Drama: Anoek Nuyens

Photography: Pepijn Lutgerink

Co-producers: NXTSTP, Culture Programme of the European Union, OMSK, Productiehuis Rotterdam

Subsidies: SNS REAAL fonds and Prins Bernhard Cultuurfonds

For more informations, riders, press map and financial conditions please contact Line Rousseau or Marion Gauvent