Valdens historie
Can a life in humiliation explain why someone ends up as a killer? Valdens historie is an honest story about rape and the consequences for the victim and the abuser. Valdens historie is the Norwegian adaptation by Det Norske Teatret / Kjersti Horn, of Édouard Louis' Histoire de la violence.
Start time 19:30
Duration 135 min
Location Rabozaal
Language Norwegian with Dutch and English surtitles
Dutch premiere
With In Gesprek on 27 February (language: English)
The press about Valdens historie
Aftenposten: "A powerful experience" ★★★★★
Klassekampen: "A shocking and poetic performance"
Dagsavisen: "Horn succeeds in bringing the complexity of Édouard Louis' sophisticated story to the stage" ★★★★★
About the play
Édouard Louis was quite open about his autobiographical work in interviews leading up to the premiere in Norway. He shared his thoughts on what it's like to be a victim and what it has to say about who you are later in life. How do you let it define you as a person? There's so much you don't think about if you haven't experienced something so painful. Louis had to ask himself the questions: Can you get over this? Will the offender get the punishment he deserves? Will it prevent others from being exposed to the same? And what happens to the victim and the perpetrator if such an incident is reported?
Norwegian stage director Kjersti Horn has had a special relationship with Édouard Louis since the publication of his first book. She was the first to stage his debut novel as a play in 2015. -|-She has now brought three of his books to stage and is working on her fourth adaptation. Her presence in Brandhaarden underlines the long cooperation and friendship between her and Louis.
Horn is renowned for her work and is known for her raw, expressive and sometimes brutal work. Press and public were unanimous in praise of Valdens historie. “I love how she's daring, going just a little too far making it hurt to be in the audience. It becomes so very realistic. And it brings out Édouard Louis' idea that it's important to hear the story of real people.” - reaction from the public.
Édouard is heading home after a party on Christmas Eve. He meets a man, they start talking and the man follows Édouard home. When night turns into day, Édouard realizes that his iPad and his phone has gone missing. He confronts his guest with theft, and the man responds to this with agression. It all ends with attempted murder and rape.
After the performance on 27 February
In Gesprek
In Gesprek is a returning programme of ITA. Come and think, listen and talk with us after the performance.
After the performance our discussion leader will talk to a guest and the audience. With Valdens Historie as a starting point, we invite the audience and our guest to explore the theme further, to exchange experiences and to ask questions to each other.
CREDITS
Norwegian translation: Egil Halmøy
New Norwegian translation: Carl Morten Amundsen
Adapted for the stage by: Kjersti Horn
Director: Kjersti Horn
Scenography and costume design: Sven Haraldsson
Music by: Erik Hedin og Arthur Kay Piene
Sound design: Erik Hedin
Lighting design: Ole Randers
Dramaturg: Carl Morten Amundsen
10th edition
Brandhaarden 2022
Brandhaarden is an international theatre festival that brings performances by notable theatre makers from abroad to Amsterdam. The festival offers a unique overview of one creator, house, region or theme. Previous editions have put the spotlight on directors such as Katie Mitchell, Milo Rau and the Rimini Protokoll collective, and city theatres such as Münchner Kammerspiele, Volksbühne Berlin and Peter Brook's Théâtre Bouffes du Nord. In 2020, the festival focused for the first time on one region, Southern Europe, and showed notable dance and theatre productions from Portugal, Spain, Italy and Greece.
The tenth edition of the ITA Festival, from 19 February to 3 March, focuses on the work of one of the most celebrated writers of his generation: Édouard Louis.