4Hoog

A wordless fantasy for children from 3 years on

Wanikan, Directed by Jelle Marteel and coached by Frans Van der Aa chose consequently for sobriety and quietness. The actors take you along in a suggestive dancing play concerning meeting and parting. One image slides poetically and humorous into the next. Pure simplicity with an alternation of a high slapstick tempo and slow abstract dancing.
 

In the beginning there was nothing.
Just a bit of clutter.
Then suddenly out of nothing came everything.
Everything starts to live.
Everything gets a life.
A boy.
And a girl.
She takes him into a dream.
A dream with sweaters.
Where they love to hide.
  

“It is for young and old a forty minute captivating performance. Magnificent in all its visual and moving meanings."

Tuur Devens, Theatermaggezien

CREDITS

Concept and directing: Jelle Marteel
Performance: Simon D’Huyvetter or Ezra Fieremans en Julie Kurris or Anjana Dierckx
Coach: Frans Van der Aa

JELLE MARTEEL ABOUT WANIKAN

The starting point of the performance was “reality versus dream”. An inquiry of what happens when the dream world ends up in the realm of reality. This inquiry evolved into the creation of an abstract world with surreal aspects. We did not make the distinction anymore between dream and reality.

We sought inspiration in the visual work of Erwin Wurm and the motion pictures of Michel Gondry. We did not seek for a coherent story, but for a wordless sequence of images with characters. But there is only suggestion. No expounding. No defining. Everything remains open for interpretation and ready to be filled with fantasy.

The leitmotif is “meeting” and “parting”. Between characters amongst themselves and characters and objects. I seek a vulnerable style with humour that touches and above all: an exercise in simplicity. Simplicity which is not meaningless, but very intense and rich.