Needlapb 17

Unlimited freedom

‘There is a clear distinction between our productions and the Needlapbs,’ says Jan Lauwers, stage director and artistic head of Needcompany. ‘In the stage productions, the dramaturgical research carried out during rehearsals assumes the most transparent form possible, ready for communication to the audience. The Needlapbs are the core of our work, and the working process there is still fluid and dynamic and has not yet taken on its final form. A Needlapb is an open conceptual space with unlimited freedom.’ Needlapb offers a unique opportunity to catch a glimpse of Needcompany’s inner workings.

• In spring 2010 Jan Lauwers wrote a new play called The Art of Entertainment for the first production he will stage as artist-in-residence at the Burgtheater in Vienna. Needlapb 17 is devoted to this play.