A parade and a dog

In a theatre, various people come together for a memorial service. In keeping with funeral tradition, each individual has a different memory, image or idea of the person they are commemorating. After all, the deceased person has led many lives and carried with him many unseen histories. And slowly, multiple voices start to rise as they tell their story. Voices of people who have been rejected, persecuted or forgotten. Yet here they are, and they could not be more alive. They form a parade full of stories, speeches and music: all different in nature and time, but now moving as one, united.

A collective of performers, writers and composers from different disciplines and backgrounds worked together intensively on this production. By sharing stories, teaching each other songs and choreographies and exchanging skills in workshops and through online channels, they laid the foundation for this production. The creative team presented their ideas to the performers, who in turn came up with a plethora of visions and creations. All of this will take shape during the intense final rehearsal period, leading up to the performances in ITA. There, the audience will surround the performers, and will in turn be surrounded by rituals of mourning and joy, in the company of dogs who are man’s best friend, guide, protector and connector.

[Collective Works]

With FAUST [Working title], Kamps and Heijboer Castañón introduced a method to Dutch National Opera that DNO that will encourage exploration in the future, in collaboration with Kamps and Castañón as well as other artists. Under the title [Collective Works], DNO will provide a space for experimentation, both on stage and in the rehearsal studio. This space is intended for research into new, collective methods. What does it mean to create opera as a collective? And what does it mean to do so in an inclusive way? [Collective Works] is an initiative in which OFF’s vision takes centre stage; it is about discovering other stories and art forms, about experimenting with collective creation processes and exploring the endless possibilities of this art form.

Asko|Schönberg
I have missed you forever is a co-production with Asko|Schönberg, conducted by Manoj Kamps. Asko|Schönberg is a leading ensemble that celebrates new music of the 20th and 21st centuries. They perform both repertoire by great established composers and works by a new generation of young talents. Talent development occupies a prominent place in the ensemble's identity.

WORLD PREMIERE

DATES

12, 13, 15, 17 and 18 March 2022