What made it remarkable was the way Van Hove and scenographer Jan Versweyveld placed the audience in the middle of the production. Spectators moved through the space along with the actors and in that way became part of the marriage that was slowly falling apart before their eyes.

The form was striking too. Johan and Marianne were played by three different pairs of actors of different ages, making past, present and future visible at the same time. This inventive approach made the production an audience favourite both at home and abroad for years.