NL / EN

Orphée | L'Amour | Eurydice

Robin Coops / Avinash Changa

When: 5, 6 and 7 March | Various times

Location: Nationale Opera & Ballet, Boekmanzaal

Ticket price: From €15,-

Language: English

Love and relationships as seen through the eyes of Orpheus, Eurydice en L’Amour


What is the nature of love nowadays? Inspired by Christoph Willibald Gluck’s opera Orphée et Eurydice, opera director Robin Coops and VR pioneer Avinash Changa went on a journey of exploring, resulting in three separate opera experiences that immerse visitors in different ways into the perspectives of Orphée, Eurydice and L'Amour.

In this version of the myth, Orpheus and Eurydice are not separated by death, but by a fate that strikes many present-day relationships: the lovers have lost each other along the way. They don’t communicate directly anymore, only via text messages with L’Amour, the personification of love, who in turn is at a loss how to properly fulfil his role as a mediator.

Three different perspectives
Using theatre and VR technology, the makers of this production let the audience experience the story from three different perspectives: Orpheus’, Eurydice’s and L’Amour’s, captured in three short performances, which can be experienced separately. Gluck’s music is transformed by Dutch-Polish composer Zbigniew Wolny into an intimate and colourful arrangement for tenor, guitar and electronics.

Robin Coops
With his interdisciplinary approach, Dutch director Robin Coops (1988) is a rising contemporary opera-maker. His work is an original amalgam of music, theatre, film, technology and digital culture. For Orphée | L’Amour | Eurydice, he drew inspiration from his personal experiences with love and a broken relationship. He joins forces with Avinash Changa, who has developed new techniques especially for this performance in order to provide the VR users in the audience with a maximally immersive experience.

Performance dates
5, 6 and 7 March

WORLD PREMIERE


Practical information

In this performance you have to choose beforehand which perspective you want to follow: that of Orphée or that of Eurydice? The two theatre experiences are different. In the Orphée experience, in the second act you are given VR glasses and literally follow in Orpheus' footsteps. In the Eurydice experience, you enter the house of the singer/musician Orpheus and the dancer Eurydice and experience their confrontation in person. The Amour experience is included in both tickets.

Orphée experience (live theatre + VR) + L'Amour (VR):
In the Orphée experience, you follow the story from Orphée's perspective. Sometimes you even literally follow in his footsteps... You enter the installation through the Orphée entrance and are assigned a seat. There, the singer/guitarist Orphée introduces himself. In the second act, you enter a balcony and are fitted with VR glasses. You follow Orphée's perspective in the virtual world by walking and making hand movements. After the VR experience you walk on to the third act where Orphée comes to a conclusion in his feelings about their broken relationship.

Eurydice experience (live theatre + headphones) + L'Amour (VR):
In the Eurydice experience, you follow the story from the perspective of Eurydice. You enter the installation through the Eurydice entrance, and when seated you are given headphones. Dancer Eurydice introduces herself. In the second act, you enter the House. Surrounded by the Chorus of Souls, you see and hear live how Orpheé, Eurydice and Amour tell their story, each in their own way. Then you walk through to the third act where Eurydice comes to a conclusion in her feelings about their relationship.

The Amour experience is included in both the ticket for the Orphée experience and the ticket for the Eurydice experience: and can be attended, as you prefer, either directly before or directly after the Eurydice experience. If you wish to visit Amour prior to the Orphée or Eurydice experience, please ensure that you arrive 35 minutes before the Orphée or Eurydice start time.

Orphée | L'Amour | Eurydice can also be seen elsewhere

Three opera companies working together

Dutch National Opera, the Nederlandse Reisopera and Opera Zuid are joining forces in an exchange of expertise, knowledge and experience, with the singers of Dutch National Opera Studio playing a major role. The performance Orphée | L'Amour | Eurydice can therefore not only be seen in our theatre, in the Boekmanzaal, but until 20 March 2022 also in Enschede, Ede, Eindhoven and Maastricht, among other places. For more information and tickets in your area: check the website of Dutch National Opera & Ballet

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Team & cast

Libretto

Hélène Vrijdag

Composition

Christoph Willibald Gluck / Zbigniew Wolny

Stage direction

Robin Coops

VR direction

Avinash Changa

Set design

Maze de Boer

Costumes

Martijn Kramp

Lighting

Wijnand van der Horst

Choreography Eurydice

Dunja Jocic

Dramaturgy

Willem Bruls

Orphée

Lucas van Lierop (tenor en gitaar)

Eurydice

Kalin Morrow (dans) / Tijana Prendovic (dans)

L Amour

Julia Akkermans

A co-production of

Dutch National Opera, de Nederlandse Reisopera, Opera Zuid, M31 Foundation and WeMakeVR