Walking Oscar
After Verosimile (2002), Thomas Hauert wanted to go further exploring the relationship between singing and the body even further. Walking Oscar is a continuation of More or Less Sad Songs (2005). It involves movement, text, music and singing. Although it has been labelled as a "musical", it does not follow the classical conventions that correspond to this genre. The performers sing live songs that indeed unite the different elements of the performance, but the main part of the text is pre-recorded and then integrated into the soundtrack: a kind of radio play. The text is written by Oscar van den Boogaard, a Dutch author using a non-linear writing style. Like thoughts in the human brain the main plot of his texts are crossing secondary lines or take unexpected shortcuts to end up with a very personal coherence. The action on the stage is not a literal visualisation of a "story", but rather a translation, an echo, abstract comments that also influence the story and vice versa. Mutually interacting movements, images and songs give a different and changing perspective of the text.
Concept & direction artistique Thomas Hauert
Chorégraphie, danse & chant Thomas Hauert, Martin Kilvady, Sara Ludi, Chrysa Parkinson, Samantha van Wissen, Mat Voorter
Texte Oscar van den Boogaard
Musique Alejandro Petrasso, Bart Aga
Entraînement voix Rahel Studer
Bande sonore Aliocha Van der Avoort
Lumières & soncept scène Jan Van Gijsel
Costumes Own
Régie Jan Van Gijsel
Technicien Peter Van Hoesen
Production ZOO
Coproduction Kaaitheater/KunstenfestivaldesArts (Bruxelles), Théâtre de la Ville/Festival d’Automne à Paris (Paris), Tanz Quartier Wien (Vienne), Charleroi Danses/Centre chorégraphique de la Communauté française (Charleroi), Mercat de les Flors (Barcelone)
Avec le soutien du Ministre de la Culture, du Vlaamse Gemeenschapscommissie, de Pro Helvetia Arts Council for Switserland et de SACD (1000 hours to dance)
Remerciements à Nadine, Rosas, Louise Donald, Rahel Studer
Traduction texte Oscar van den Boogaard Kate Mayne
