Since birth, the gorgeous Zilke has been suffering from the strange and very rare syndrom of Cinderellitis, which has the following symptoms: several times a day Zilke’s heart breaks, overcome by the suffering of the human race, and she dies, to be brought back to life by cruel Death only a minute later.
Zilke’s attacks of death and awakening are being exploited mercilessly by her mother Suzanne. The day the rebellious Zilke tries to runs off, her mother panicks. She asks her wicked mother Bernadette for help. Bernadette and her husband Bernard run their own business, something inbetween a variété show, a circus and a collection of curiosities. Bernadette, a Thatcherian dictator, will break that girl’s little spirit!
In the meantime, Bernadette’s husband Bernard, a clown with a burn-out, is seeking comfort in the arms of the sexy Patsy Andersuitgedraaid and the hormone queen Greet Van Dieperin.
But then Rafael shows up, a young business man who is crazy about Zilke and thinks he can buy anything with his money and his love.
What follows is a passionate melodrama, set in the deepest crevices of the entertainment business.
But the special guest stars in this existential farce will be the 7 little goats, who, supported by the Iranian sheperd Abbas, will bring this story to its surprising conclusion.
music | Peter Vermeersch |
text | after 'Dood en ontwaken in Circus Ngemak' by Pieter de Buysser |
director and text adaptation | Judith Vindevogel |
with | Eurudike De Beul (Peeping Tom, Les Ballets C de la B), Thaïs Scholiers (Froe Froe, WALPURGIS), Charlotte Vandermeersch (WALPURGIS/de Roovers, Wunderbaum, SKaGEN), Bernard Van Eeghem (Leporello, DAS), Nordine Benchorf (ROSAS, Ultima Vez), Annique Burms/Bianca Van Puyvelde (WALPURGIS), Evelien Van Hamme (Union Suspecte, 't Arsenaal) & Geert Vandyck (Abattoir Fermé, Union Suspecte) |
musicians | FES: Stefaan Blancke, Jon Birdsong, Benjamin Boutreur, Berlinde Deman, Luc Van Lieshout, Bart Maris, Michel Mast, Marc Meeuwissen, Kristof Roseeuw, Peter Vandenberghe, Bruno Vansina, Teun Verbruggen, Peter Vermeersch, Wim Willaert & Tom Wouters |
costumes | Myriam Van Gucht |
scenography | Stef Depover |
sound | Geert De Wit |
coach musical rehearsals | Dirk Baert |
technics | Rik Helsen & Olivier Janssens |
production | WALPURGIS & BONK vzw |
coproduction | Theater op de Markt & Zeeland Nazomerfestival |
image | Koen Broos |
Peter Vermeersch
after 'Dood en ontwaken in Circus Ngemak' by Pieter de Buysser
Judith Vindevogel
Eurudike De Beul (Peeping Tom, Les Ballets C de la B), Thaïs Scholiers (Froe Froe, WALPURGIS), Charlotte Vandermeersch (WALPURGIS/de Roovers, Wunderbaum, SKaGEN), Bernard Van Eeghem (Leporello, DAS), Nordine Benchorf (ROSAS, Ultima Vez), Annique Burms/Bianca Van Puyvelde (WALPURGIS), Evelien Van Hamme (Union Suspecte, 't Arsenaal) & Geert Vandyck (Abattoir Fermé, Union Suspecte)
FES: Stefaan Blancke, Jon Birdsong, Benjamin Boutreur, Berlinde Deman, Luc Van Lieshout, Bart Maris, Michel Mast, Marc Meeuwissen, Kristof Roseeuw, Peter Vandenberghe, Bruno Vansina, Teun Verbruggen, Peter Vermeersch, Wim Willaert & Tom Wouters
Myriam Van Gucht
Stef Depover
Geert De Wit
Dirk Baert
Rik Helsen & Olivier Janssens
WALPURGIS & BONK vzw
Theater op de Markt & Zeeland Nazomerfestival
Koen Broos
Reviews (in Dutch)
In the Flemish-absurdistic tradition of cartoonists like Kamagurka and Topor Zilke has become music theatre with a cartoonesque style. (…) This is splattermusic of a high level, sometimes following capricious and unexpected lines, sometimes simply sensational.
De Volkskrant
Passionate circus music, melodramatic opera, cheerful jazz to tell this crazy story with an expressionist ‘schwung’.
PZC
Director Judith Vindevogel is living it up with grotesque figures and sharp and colourful images. The text is set in rhyme, the rhythm is just right and the tension builds up nicely.
NRC Handelsblad
Peter Vermeersch composed a beautiful score, sometimes jazzy, sometimes bulking with oriental sounds. The musical twists fit perfectly with the bizar undertone of this performance.
De Morgen