The Dakar Company has a tradition of summer festivals and location projects. Stap actor Luc Loots was asked to play in Braakland. Lotte van den Berg directs on the basis of improvisations. Lotte directed the show ergens staat er nu een igloo leeg [There is an empty igloo somewhere now] (2002) for Theater Stap. She thought Luc was the right actor for this story on the basis of his personality.
Together with 8 able-bodied actors Luc acts in a play about people searching for ground under their feet on a forgotten piece of land that doesn’t belong to anyone. J.M. Coetzee’s text was the inspiration. This performance was played in Alkmaar and at the Boulevardfestival in Den Bosch.
timeline
Cie Dakar asked Theater Stap's Luc Loots to participate in this performance. After several performances in Flanders and The Netherlands, Luc went to Italy, Spain, New York and Brazil.
credits
Director: Lotte van den Berg
Design : Paul Koenen en Martin Mulder
Costumes: Arlette Muschter
Technology: Paul de Vrees
Production: Leonie Zweekhorst
Publicity: Lieneke Astro
Graphics arts: Devon Ress
Cast:
Guido Kleene
Daphne de Winkel
Monika Haasova
Jetse Batelaan
Lobke van Beuzekom
Matthias Maat
Carola Bärtschiger
Luc Loots
Ward Weemhoff
press
Brabants Dagblad, August 10 2004 2004
"Leaving the hot shuttle bus that takes you to 'Braakland' reminds us of Dante's Hell: 'Abandon all hope, ye who enter here'. There is a tribune just passed the rubbish dump in the dry and yellow grass for the audience, covered in rusty corrugated iron sheets. There are factories in the distance and a background noise of roaring traffic. One man is sitting alone in the grass. A little further on there is a second man walking with a shovel, on which he balances a clump of earth with a pathetic shoot with great difficulty. Even before he can plant the new life he collapses. Suddenly other people approach from all directions. No, help is not offered. In the jungle of 'Braakland' it's every man for himself: kill or be killed ... There are no words in 'Braakland'. What could they say in a world where there is no place for compassion, love or life ... Braakland is a heavy and moving performance."