Almost A Bird Theatre Collective
heads to The Netherlands to perform at the International Arts Festival Oerol
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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
ENDS