Right in the middle of the COVID-19 crisis, I am learning the monologue of Voice, the character in Beckett’s radio play Cascando from 1962. The text is about one Woburn (Maunu in the original French text) who wanders from shelter to shelter. The journey ends in a little boat (‘… face in the bilge … arms spread … same old coat …’), drifting without destination on the open sea. If you call this image fatalistic, you will not be the first to interpret Beckett’s work...

Also in my point of view, inclusivity, like synchronicity, is essential in non-intentional theatre.

Inclusivity is not at all the same thing as diversity. Diversity is a necessary basis for inclusivity. Diversity leads to lack of commitment and to tolerance at best (for other aspects, interpretations, approaches, et cetera, which are part of the whole, are also allowed); inclusivity appeals to curiosity, to being prepared to leave one’s own framework behind to b...

Historiography of western drama traditionally starts with the emergence of Greek tragedy. It is generally believed that tragedy developed from the Dithyrambe, a narrative in honour of the god Dionysos. In the course of time, one singer took a more individualist role in the chorus and became a soloist. Later on, a second and third singer did the same. These singers also began to speak and played parts, becoming actors.

I like to work with existing texts as a source, whether or not written for the stage. If the performance is built around a theme, like in Kitan, I want to use texts I link with the theme by association. I always look for texts in which stories are told that reflect the search for the meaning of life, in which universally recognisable themes are expressed.

In non-intentional theatre, I consider two principles leading: synchronism and inclusivity. Both principles are applicable to all parameters in theatre: text, décor, light, sound, playing with fellow performers, audience, and the physical performance environment.

In Wikipedia, synchronism is defined as: significant coincidence of outer and inner events that are not causally interconnected.

Evers since I was a child, I have been fascinated by the theatre, dance, film, music. The worlds they evoked seemed more real to me than the everyday world around me. Through the years, I found answers to make my life bearable. Yet, the idea and feeling that the theatre, that art made me understand life better than any purely logical analysis can, remained. ‘True thoughts are those alone which do not understand themselves,’ Theodor W. Adorno wrote. In an intervie...