Under the Influence
Colette Goossens, Stan Martens & Laurens Aneca
location
Minard
duration
60 min
language
Dutch
No supertitles
Dutch ★★★★ (you must be able to read, understand, and speak Dutch very well)
Info
From the jury
“Under the Influence is moving and lingers long after, thanks to its careful dissection of gender dynamics, psychological distress, and above all, how unfathomable a relationship between two people can be—with all its strange twists and blurry boundaries.”
Theater makers and lovers Colette Goossens and Stan Martens were touched by John Cassavetes’ film “A Woman Under the Influence” (1974). The film takes the viewer into the lives of the couple Mabel and Nick. Mabel is tied to their home and the many household chores she performs, a situation that gradually sinks her into a downward spiral. At the same time, Nick’s inability to deal with Mabel’s mental breakdown manifests itself in passive aggression.
Together with director Laurens Aneca, Colette and Stan drew inspiration from this film. Central to their creative process was the question of how love and care can be united in a relationship in which one partner struggles with severe emotional and physical instability.
ACCESSIBILITY
Reviews
"Goossens and Martens are two promising actors who, with little more than their bodies and some words, allow the audience to experience a story that is as tragicomic as it is recognisable, which makes for entertaining and moving theatre. Theatre that also shows a much-needed, clear, tragicomic view of psychological suffering."
Credits
Concept: Colette Goossens, Stan Martens, and Laurens Aneca
Performance: Colette Goossens and Stan Martens
Direction: Laurens Aneca
Dramaturgy: Lotte Vrancken
Scenography: Shervine Sheikh Rezaei
Costume: Lena Mariën
Music: Seppe Vande Veire
Lighting Design and Technical Support: Lies Van Loock and Sarah Feyen
Outside Eye: Daan Borloo
Production Management: Noor de Graaf
Promotional Image: Lieselot Siddiki and Pepijn Siddiki
Stage Photography: Faber Mahieu
Co-producers: Theater Malpertuis, detheatermaker, Het Nieuwstedelijk and C-mine
With thanks to: Theater Arsenaal, Compagnie Cecilia, Arts Centre BUDA, KOPERGIETERY, and Jesse Vandamme
With the support of: The Flemish Government