TalentLAB#2019
By Maddy 06.08.19
ICON. STATUS. Red Haired Men
It has been 3 days full of emotions.
This year, TalentLab is at its 4th edition. It started on 29th of May and will end soon, on 9th of June. TalentLab comprises shows, discussions, masterclasses and a contest for the best show. Although there were many shows to go to, I chose ICON, STATUS and Red Haired Men. Basically, I wanted to see 3 different types of talents (as the name of the festival speaks for itself): 21st century opera, one man show and dance.
First things first, I C O N. This 21st century opera by Atelier Bildraum, Frederik Neyrinck & Sabryna Pierre is the show that you expect and not about what is going to happen. This show had an amazing performance done by the soprano Lieselot De Wilde and Tibo Vandenborre. Accompanied by the orchestra Asko|Schönberg conducted by David Kweksilber.
From entering the room, the public is welcomed in the privacy of the show, the music sets the intimacy mood and the projectors bring the nowadays in the context. This opera show is taking an old myth of a 19th century death mask of a young woman and brings it in our days of photography and selfies. It touches subjects such as life and death, fears and desires, sexualized icons and life in front of a camera. It is a show that gives you shivers, creeps you out and makes you uncomfortable. But also, it is a show that makes you understand the “behind the camera” feeling of those who are public icons, or better said who are made icons.
STATUS is a one man show written by the performer Chris Thorpe. Chris is an Associate Artist at the Royal Exchange Manchester. For this show and for award winning Confirmation, he collaborated with Rachel Chavik.
Chris plays Chris, which is not him, he is just a character. The subject of the show is of actuality and starts from something UK Prime Minister has said: “If you believe you are a citizen of the world, you are a citizen of nowhere”. It was made clear that this show was not a discussion about political changes in Europe but about the question a lot of individuals started to ask themselves; the question of nationality, national identity and the privilege and responsibility that comes with it. This one man show combines the monologue with stories and songs that create the needed bubble for the question to be asked and for the answers to be given. Considering the mood that the subject sets, the performance is not lacking the well-known British humor.
Last but not least, Red Haired Man. The choreograph Alexander Vanteournhot begins, with this show, his first group choreography alongside Ruben Mardulier, Winston Reynolds and Axel Guérin.
This show is a combination of choreography, theater, circus and magic. It is a show that started from the work of the Russian writer Daniil Harms, a weird text that is followed by weird movements. It is the unexpected in a box. The peculiarity of the text, interpreted through the dance movements, with music and without music, give a sense of humor to the show, but also a sense of wondering about existence.
You can find more about TalentLab#19 here. And you can see what is up next at Les Théâtres de la Ville de Luxembourg here.