Gob Squad & Campo (DE/GB/BE)
Before Your Very Eyes
- Tuesday Sep 16 / 7.30 pm, Archa Theatre
- Monday Jun 12 / 7.30 pm, Archa Theatre
Before Your Very Eyes, the latest project by renowned German-British ensemble Gob Squad, comes to Prague mere months after its successful world premiere in Berlin. Czech audiences are thus lucky to see this exclusive international show soon after its premiere – thanks to enthusiastic reviews, interest in the show is immense throughout Europe. Before Your Very Eyes will go on tour over the coming years – that is, until the children grow up.
The performance’s main protagonists are children ranging in age from eight to fourteen. Parts of the performance were pre-recorded on video; the authentic texts that the audience hears were created over the course of two years in Belgium during improvised interviews with the children. Audiences are thus presented the world as seen through children’s eyes, an accurate and humorous vision of what the children plan to do and be once they grow up. The children appear on stage in an unconventional manner; thanks to a one-way mirror, audiences get to watch them in their rooms like tortoises in a terrarium. The project, which was realized in collaboration with the renowned Flemish production company Campo, represents one of the highlights of this year’s festival.
GOB SQUAD
This seven-member international ensemble was formed in 1994. Its bold and daring performances, which mix performance with visual art, video, and multimedia technologies, have been positively received throughout the world. Gob Squad often presents its performances in offices or at shopping centers, train stations, and hotels. One of today’s most innovative theater ensembles, Gob Squad’s most recent Prague appearance was in 2008, with its Warholesque satire Kitchen. The leading New York cultural website Culturebot calls Gob Squad “an odd beast who mix performance and happening with film, TV, and pop cultural references, creating an oddly beautiful and compelling world.”
The performance is being presented by the 4+4 Days in Motion festival and the Archa Theatre as part of the Flemish Season in Prague
More information: www.campo.nu, www.gobsquad.com.
Concept, design, and direction: Gob Squad (Johanna Freiburg, Sean Patten, Berit Stumpf, Sarah Thom, Bastian Trost & Simon Will)
With: Martha Balthazar, Maurice Belpaire, Spencer Bogaert, Zoë Breda, Faustijn De Ruyck, Ramses De Ruyck, Fons Dhossche, Tasja Doom, Gust Hamerlinck, Robbe Langeraert, Zoë Luca, Jeanne Vandekerckhove, Aiko Vanparys & Ineke Verhaegen.
Voiceover: Rigley Riley
Sound design: Sebastian Bark, Jeff McGrory & Gob Squad
Costumes: An Breughelmans & Gob Squad
Camera: Philippe Digneffe, Pol Heyvaert & Gob Squad
Video post-production: Miles Chalcraft, Korneel Coessens, Sarah Michelle Harrison, Anna Zett & Gob Squad
Production assistance: Stephanie Dewachter & Hilde Tuinstra
Artistic co-ordination: Nele De Sloover
Production management: Wim Clapdorp & Christina Runge
Produced by: CAMPO, GENT (BELGIUM) AND GOB SQUAD (GERMANY/GREAT BRITAIN)
Co-produced by: Hebbel am Ufer, Berlin; FFT Düsseldorf; Noorderzon/Grand Theatre Groningen; NEXT Festival, Eurometropole Lille-Kortrijk-Tournai + Valenciennes and Künstlerhaus Mousonturm, Frankfurt.
Duration: 70 min
