R2D2_OR_NOT_2B2
What happens when the most famous play in theatre history is no longer performed by humans, but by machines? In Hamlet: R2D2_or_not_2B2 by De Warme Winkel, robots take over the stage and reconstruct Shakespeare’s classic.
Between irony, philosophy and estrangement, a sharp reflection emerges on humanity, technology and whether we still have control over our own story.
Duration tbc
Genre Theatre
Language Dutch
Human, machine and masterpiece in disintegration
Ask AI for the pinnacle of theatre history and the answer is clear: Hamlet. But what happens when that very icon is taken over by a dozen robots? In this free and provocative adaptation, De Warme Winkel brings a colourful collection of intelligent vacuum cleaners, bionic animals and androids in existential crisis onto the stage. They attempt to reconstruct Shakespeare’s masterpiece as fragments of a shattered vase. While they reenact scenes, they become entangled in their own programming.
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They analyse, imitate and disrupt what theatre and humanity actually are. Just as Hamlet himself stood on the threshold of eras, this performance also exists in a transition: from human to digital, from feeling to code, from play to system.
Is this world-famous play still capable of interpreting our time, or does it reveal that we ourselves have become part of a larger algorithm?
About De Warme Winkel
De Warme Winkel is considered one of the most exciting theatre companies in the Netherlands. They create performances nationally and internationally, in both small and large venues, and are known for their radical, playful and conceptual approach to theatre.-|-
From lockdown projects to performance actions and collaborations with other makers, the company continuously operates at the intersection of theatre, visual art and social experiment.
Credits
concept, text and staging Rosie Sommers, Ward Weemhoff, Marieke de Zwaan
cast incl. Byeongsu Lim, Rosie Sommers, Ward Weemhoff, Marieke de Zwaan
final direction Bianca van der Schoot
dramaturgy Mira Gebhardt
choreography Byeongsu Lim
set design Theun Mosk | Ruimtetijd
associate set design Rients Dijkstra | Ruimtetijd
lighting concept Theun Mosk | Ruimtetijd
robots Merijn Versnel, Cas Dekker (Ruimtetijd), Cedric van Daalen, Roel Leenders
costume design Ginta Tinte Vasermane-|-
music and sound design Marijn Brussaard
researcher Pace Veeger
production management Joppe Kos
technical production Cedric van Daalen
marketing Lisa Groot, Nynke Kimmel
co-production Staatstheater Hannover
with support from Ammodo Arts, AFK, FPK (international co-production), Gieskes Strijbis Fonds
with thanks to Charlotte Vlugt, Dylan Hunter, Nikolaj Salzwedell, Sofia de Valk, Tom Huppermans
