The Beach

“With your back in the sand, the sun on your face. Your beautiful best friend helps rub sunscreen into your skin. The movement of her hands up and down. Her smile. You'd love to tell her how beautiful she looks today. And how much you love her. But you're afraid of ruining the friendship.”  // “Are people becoming more prudish about sex? Is there more polarization? Is it different in different countries? Here, gay sex is forbidden because we think it's something counter to nature.” // “No towel, no swimsuit – it doesn't matter. When you're as determined as I am, you always have to be able to improvise. Always ready to throw a punch and take a left hook. I'm with the bruzz on the hunt for the huzz...” // “ That it isn’t just something mysterious. Dialogue sex. Unrestrained sex. Crazy sex. Wild sex...” // “I want to find love without having to make love.” 

Along with eleven young people, you'll experience a day and a night on the beach. The crashing of the waves forms the soundtrack to their thoughts about sexuality – so many desires, questions, beliefs, doubts, fantasies. Their inner, personal reflections on intimacy and eroticism become as visible as their warmed-up skin.

"Until my unattainable, soul-sized squid-desire disappears into the depths of the dark ocean, searching for its next victim… "

The text for the beach was created over a five-month period by ten young people from Antwerp, based on writing sessions, improvisations, conversations, and interviews. On stage, this text will be embodied by eleven different young performers.

the beach is the first collaboration between hetpaleis and Sarah Vanhee, a transdisciplinary artist whose work has been shown nationally and internationally for the last twenty years.

• Sarah Vanhee is an artist, performer and author. Her interdisciplinary work moves between public space and the institutional art field. She has worked in prisons, living rooms, open spaces, theatres, conference rooms, etc. She previously appeared in the Kaaitheater programme with the lecture performance collected screams, and the documentary film The Making of Justice, shot in a prison.