Werken en dagen
While FC Bergman's previous production, The Sheep Song (2021), celebrated the individual freedom and the notion of life's controllability, Werken en dagen stands as a genuine tribute to the relentless strength of the collective and the boundless power of nature. Yet, inevitably, it also takes on elements of an elegy.
A textbook example of imagination.
Run time 70 minutes
Genre Theatre
Language Language no problem
Dutch opening night Sat, October 26
This performance features live animals
Werken en dagen
Around 700 BC, the Greek poet Hesiod composed a series of guidelines in writing for his brother concerning the art of agriculture. This letter, titled Werken en Dagen (Works and Days), evolved into a poetic farmer's almanac, blending agricultural advice with a manual for life in general.
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FC Bergman borrows Hesiod's title for their contemplation of life on (and with) the land. A life lived in tune with the seasons, following the laws of the soil and the customs of the community that cultivates it.
However, a new era with new opportunities and desires is finding its way into this fragile marriage between humanity and the earth.
Press
de Volkskrant
Werken en dagen is impressive, evocative theatre about toiling man through the ages.
de Standaard
'With Werken en dagen, FC Bergman is once again pushing boundaries. Their magnificent swan song for collective farming is already the ecological wake-up call of the season. (...) You will see the painting works of Bruegel and Permeke, of Claus and Millet, yet above all of FC Bergman. Werken en dagen thus becomes a textbook example of imagination.'
de Morgen
'FC Bergman has perfected the art of representation over the years. Set, lighting and music are deployed with breathtaking effectiveness (and the necessary humour). (...) Werken en dagen is a brilliantly crafted warning about the loss of community.'
Credits
direction, scenario and scenography Stef Aerts, Joé Agemans, Thomas Verstraeten and Marie Vinck (FC Bergman)
performers Stef Aerts, Joé Agemans, Fumiyo Ikeda, Maryam Sserwamukoko, Thomas Verstraeten, Marie Vinck, Geert Goossens and Roos Janssens / Susan De Ceuster / Bonnie Elias
music composition and live performance Joachim Badenhorst and Sean Carpio
costume design An d’Huys
lightning design Stef Aerts, Joé Agemans and Ken Hioco
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production Toneelhuis
co-production Piccolo Teatro di Milano – Teatro d’Europa (IT) and Les Théâtres de la Ville de Luxembourg (LU)
with the support of the Tax Shelter of the Belgian Federal Government
