SIRENS / WIJVEN - ONTROEREND GOED

(EN) We are the weaker sex. We’re godesses, muses, amazons and warrior queens. We can’t control our feelings and we bleed once a month, because we deserve it. We cry, scream, sulk and suffer inexplicable mood swings. We’re little princesses who love to dress up and curtsy. We need a man to tell us how to get organized. We all have oversensitive antennae and they hurt. We are either whores, saints or moms. We read signs in everything. We like to provoke but we don’t fully understand the impact. We’re good liars, use our bodies to get on in life, argue that it’s impossible to understand if you’re not a woman. We’re sirens. And the stage is ours.

• Director:
  Alexander Devriendt
• Dramaturgy:
  Joeri Smet, Mieke Versyp
• With:
  Charlotte De Bruyne
  Aurélie Lannoy
  Anemone Valcke
  Marjan Deschutter
  Karolien De Bleser
  Verona Verbakel
• Costume & Scenography:
  Sophie De Somere
  & Manu Verschueren
• Photography:
  Stine Sampers
• Composition:
  Joris Blanckaert
• Technique Creation:
  Jasper Taelemans
  & Elke Verachtert

Ontroerend Goed in coproduction with Vooruit, Theatre Royal Plymouth & Richard Jordan Productions Ltd.
With support of Summerhall.
With support of the Flemish Community, Province of East-Flanders and the City of Ghent.

The language is lacerating, the performances bruising in their upfront intensity – and the effect is utterly exhilarating.

* * * * * - The Times - Sam Marlowe
​

'Sirens' won The Stage Award for Acting Excellence as best ensemble at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival & was nominated for the Amnesty International Freedom of Speech Award 2014.

© Ronny Wertelaers - Verona Verbakel in Sirens

(NL) Wij zijn ’t zwakke geslacht, maar we zijn met meer en we leven langer. Ons gevoelens hebben we nie in de hand. Een keer per maand bloeden we, omdat we ’t verdienen. We zijn godinnen, muzes, amazones, vechtersbazinnen. We kennen ons eigen mysteries nie. We schreien, roepen en tieren, zwijgen als ’t nie nodig is. Ons goestingskes veranderen gelijk niets. We zijn prinseskes die kicken op een hoepelrok.  We hebben ne vent nodig die het voor ons regelt. We hebben van die lange voelsprieten en da doet zeer. Als we lief zijn voor elkaar, dan verwachten we ne klauw. We zijn hoeren, brave meiskes, mama’tjes. We zien overal tekens. We dagen uit maar als ’t mis loopt snappen we ’t nie. We kunnen goe liegen, gebruiken ons lijf om ergens te geraken, en ge kunt ons nie begrijpen als ge zelf geen vrouw zijt. We zijn wijven. en het podium is van ons.
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'Wijven' won The Stage Award for Acting Excellence as best ensemble op het Edinburgh Fringe Festival & werd genomineerd voor de Amnesty International Freedom of Speech Award 2014.

Trailer
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TOUR LIST / Speellijst
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03.06.2017 om 20:00 in Tobacco Factory Theatres / Bristol (English version)

03.06.2017 om 16:00 in Tobacco Factory Theatres / Bristol (English version)

02.06.2017 om 21:30 in Tobacco Factory Theatres / Bristol (English version)

02.06.2017 om 18:30 in Tobacco Factory Theatres / Bristol (English version)

01.06.2017 om 20:00 in Tobacco Factory Theatres / Bristol (English version)

04.02.2017 om 20:00 in Minard / Gent (15-year anniversary of theatre company Ontroerend Goed)
 
03.12.2016 om 20:00 in Arenbergschouwburg / Antwerpen (English version)
 
10.10.2015 om 20:00 in Leidse schouwburg / Leiden
 
09.10.2015 om 20:00 in CC De Woeker / Oudenaarde
 
06.10.2015 om 20:00 in Mac / Birmingham
 
05.10.2015 om 20:00 in Mac / Birmingham
 
03.10.2015 om 20:00 in Lowry / Manchester
 
02.10.2015 om 20:00 in Lowry / Manchester
 
10.05.2015 om 20:00 in Theaterfestival / Bern
 
09.05.2015 om 19:30 in Theaterfestival / Bern
 
24.04.2015 om 20:00 in CC De Spil / Roeselare
 
28.01.2015 om 20:00 in Arts Centre / Jersey
 
27.01.2015 om 20:00 in Arts Centre / Jersey
 
04.01.2015 om 17:00 in Soho theatre / London
 
03.01.2015 om 19:15 in Soho theatre / London
 
03.01.2015 om 14:30 in Soho theatre / London
 
02.01.2015 om 19:15 in Soho theatre / London
 
30.12.2014 om 19:15 in Soho theatre / London
 
30.12.2014 om 14:30 in Soho theatre / London
 
29.12.2014 om 19:15 in Soho theatre / London
 
28.12.2014 om 17:00 in Soho theatre / London

​27.12.2014 om 19:15 in Soho theatre / London
 
23.12.2014 om 19:15 in Soho theatre / London
 
22.12.2014 om 19:15 in Soho theatre / London
 
21.12.2014 om 17:00 in Soho theatre / London
 
20.12.2014 om 19:15 in Soho theatre / London
 
20.12.2014 om 14:30 in Soho theatre / London
 
19.12.2014 om 19:15 in Soho theatre / London

​18.12.2014 om 19:15 in Soho theatre / London
 
17.12.2014 om 19:15 in Soho theatre / London
 
16.12.2014 om 19:15 in Soho theatre / London
 
14.12.2014 om 17:00 in Soho theatre / London
 
13.12.2014 om 19:15 in Soho theatre / London
 
13.12.2014 om 14:30 in Soho theatre / London
 
05.12.2014 om 20:00 in CC Scharpoord / Knokke-Heist
 
04.12.2014 om 19:15 in Soho theatre / London
 
03.12.2014 om 19:15 in Soho theatre / London
 
02.12.2014 om 19:15 in Soho theatre / London
 
29.11.2014 om 19:45 in Drum Theatre / Plymouth
 
28.11.2014 om 19:45 in Drum Theatre / Plymouth
 
27.11.2014 om 19:45 in Drum Theatre / Plymouth
 
26.11.2014 om 19:45 in Drum Theatre / Plymouth
 
25.11.2014 om 19:45 in Drum Theatre / Plymouth
 
24.11.2014 om 19:45 in Drum Theatre / Plymouth
 
24.09.2014 om 20:00 in Minard / Gent
 
23.09.2014 om 20:00 in Minard / Gent
 
24.08.2014 om 20:30 in Traverse / Edinburgh
 
23.08.2014 om 20:30 in Traverse / Edinburgh
 
22.08.2014 om 20:30 in Traverse / Edinburgh
 
21.08.2014 om 20:30 in Traverse / Edinburgh
 
20.08.2014 om 20:30 in Traverse / Edinburgh
 
19.08.2014 om 20:30 in Traverse / Edinburgh
 
18.08.2014 om 20:30 in Traverse / Edinburgh
 
17.08.2014 om 20:30 in Traverse / Edinburgh
 
16.08.2014 om 20:30 in Traverse / Edinburgh
 
15.08.2014 om 20:30 in Traverse / Edinburgh
 
14.08.2014 om 20:30 in Traverse / Edinburgh
 
13.08.2014 om 20:30 in Traverse / Edinburgh
 
12.08.2014 om 20:30 in Traverse / Edinburgh
 
31.07.2014 om 20:30 in De Grote Post / Oostende
 
31.07.2014 om 15:00 in De Grote Post / Oostende
 
30.07.2014 om 20:45 in Openingsvoorstelling TAZ De Grote Post / Oostende
 
31.05.2014 om 19:45 in Drum Theatre / Plymouth
 
30.05.2014 om 19:45 in Drum Theatre / Plymouth
 
29.05.2014 om 19:45 in Drum Theatre / Plymouth
 
28.05.2014 om 19:45 in Drum Theatre / Plymouth
 
27.05.2014 om 19:45 in Drum Theatre / Plymouth
 
30.04.2014 om 20:00 in STUK / Leuven
 
29.04.2014 om 20:00 in Arenbergschouwburg / Antwerpen
 
26.04.2014 om 20:00 in K.C. België / Hasselt
 
25.04.2014 om 20:00 in K.C. België / Hasselt
 
19.04.2014 om 20:00 in Vooruit / Gent
 
18.04.2014 om 20:00 in Vooruit / Gent
 
17.04.2014 om 20:00 in Vooruit / Gent

Copyright: Stine Sampers

Reviews
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…The language is lacerating, the performances bruising in their upfront intensity – and the effect is utterly exhilarating.

* * * * * - The Times - Sam Marlowe

…despite what sometimes seems a disturbingly confused line of thought, Sirens emerges as a tremendously vivid piece of work about young western women in the early 21st century, checking their privilege, identifying the battles still unwon, insisting on the right to express their own blazing sexuality; and using their voices in ways that break new theatrical ground, and mark this show out as a fantastic theatrical experiment...

* * * * - The Scotsman - Joyce McMillan

…It's the unexpected juxtapositions that make this beautifully put-together show so startling and so thought-provoking. Big, bold, brazen, and not a hussy in sight.  Only real women asking what it means to be a feminist.

* * * * - The Guardian - Lyn Gardner ​

This is not a show that pitches women against men, instead it’s a call to arms for both sexes. Women, the show suggests, are just as complicit in creating our place in society as men are. It’s a dynamic, essential evening and one that challenges the way we see each other and ourselves.

* * * * - Time Out London

 It’s a strong piece of work, and a great showcasing of women’s voices – in many senses of that word.

Total Theatre - Dorothy Max Prior
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Interviews
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One out of six women gets sexually abused and two out of six get involved with violence at home. I wondered if those numbers were correct, so I started to talk about it with friends and I made a list to keep score. When I got to my 10th friend I just stopped because I got so depressed … When you start to talk about it, when you open up, there are so many stories that women tell you.

I personally don’t want to have kids, so I have a lot of discussions about that with people and one man said to me, “well, why don’t you remove your womb then?” I just got so angry, I was like … how can you even say that? It’s just those little things. You hear so many stories once you open up to women about these things, and that’s what really made me angry. It’s fun to do the show, because you know why you stand there and you scream. I have the right to scream because I’m angry about this and this and this and this, and this is just a chance that Alexander gave us to scream it all out. I love to scream.

We had a post-show talk and there was a woman who came for the second time and she brought her 15-year-old daughter, and she said “I hope that all 15-year-old girls see this.” There was also one guy who said that he thinks that the word feminism should be a more equal word to show that it’s about equality between men and women, and that feminism is a very female word. For me, that shows that if feminism is still a dirty word to use in this society then this society is still very patriarchal.

I now love the word feminism. I’ve seen sweaters in the UK that men are wearing as well saying “This is what a feminist looks like” and that’s what I love, because a feminist can be anyone. I think everyone should be a feminist.

"Feminism? It's a scream - Ontroerend Goed on Sirens" - The Guardian (Catherine Love)