De versie Claus
A full-length portrait of Claus
It was while working on De versie Claus that the writer Mark Schaevers and theatre-maker Josse De Pauw were caught unawares by the news that Hugo Claus had chosen to have his life brought to an end. Their ‘Claus version’, which was clearly intended as a tribute to the master of Flemish literature, now became a memorial, a mausoleum for this extraordinary man.
In 2004 Mark Schaevers, the editor of the magazine Humo, compiled a series of excerpts from the many interviews Hugo Claus had given in his career, in the book Groepsportret. This anthology describes Claus – from a young man just starting his career to a 75-year-old writer – in his own words. Schaevers and De Pauw adapted this material into a theatre monologue, an acted ‘auto’ biography. It is a full-length portrait of Claus and portrays his wrath, his stubbornness, his honest and provocative nature, and so on.
Hugo Claus: ‘They once described me as a Flemish giant. Which is a type of rabbit. I would prefer to be a hamster which gathers and gathers and then barricades itself in.’ A portrait of a writer that transcends the boundary of death.
Canvas-documentary
on Josse De Pauw, in Dutch: 28/3, 19:00, free
La version Claus (version française):
3, 5/04, 20:15, 4/04, 22:00, Flagey, www.flagey.be, t. 02 641 10 20
Matinee Kadee
Sunday 29/03/2009, 15:00 - while you are lapping up De Versie Claus, your children (4-12) can take part in a creative cooking workshop given by Kikkindekok. There is a creche for the under-4s too. It’s all free, but you have to book.
text Mark Schaevers | direction Josse De Pauw | performed by Josse De Pauw, Stijn Keuleers | scenography Herman Sorgeloos | production Toneelhuis (Antwerp)
