May 1, 2007

ALMOST A BIRD THEATRE COLLECTIVE HEADS TO THE NETHERLANDS TO PERFORM AT THE INTERNATIONAL ARTS FESTIVAL OEROL  

A cast of six Kiwi actors is off to The Netherlands with a stunning production of Life as Antigone to perform at part of the International Arts Festival Oerol.

Oerol means ‘everywhere’! The underlying philosophy of the Oerol Festival is that the whole island of Terschelling (north Netherlands) serves as a stage and source of inspiration for national and international theatre producers, musicians and graphic artists. Beaches, woods, dunes and older landscape eminently function as both stage scene and setting.

The cast and crew leave Aotearoa for Terschelling 26th May to rehearse on the beach stage they will be performing upon 15-24 June.

Director Willem Wassenaar originally comes from The Netherlands, where he studied and worked as an actor, director and acting tutor. His talent and passion for his craft has seen him invited to create Life as Antigone for this international event only a few months out of Master of Theatre Arts in Directing at Toi Whakaari: NZ Drama School and Victoria University of Wellington.

Almost a Bird Theatre Collective’s previous works have been the Fringe Festival award winning play Delicates, Ad de Bont’s Mirad, a Boy from Bosnia and Tennessee Williams’ The Glass Menagerie.

 

Based on the Greek classic by Sophocles, Life as Antigone by French dramatist Jean Anouilh, tells of Antigone’s struggle against the law and order of the King Creon.

 

"Tightly directed and very creatively staged the raw energy of the actors holds the play together with a fierce intensity . . . a most satisfying production to watch"

– Ewen Coleman, The Dominion Post 

"Once again Willem Wassenaar’s Almost a Bird Collective – who established their reputation with Delicates and The Glass Menagerie – have found the dramatic heart of the work, revealing its timeless relevance in two hours of intensely focused insight, drama and humour." – John Smythe, Theatreview 

"Willem Wassenaar is without question one of the most daring, most exciting directors in the Capital, the kind of director we need to get younger people into our theatres. (Antigone) deserves to be performed on the world stage."

– Lynn Freeman, Capital Times