© J. Jarche, Family listening to a speech by Winston Churchill.

the silencing

performance

What kind of attention do we give to the sounds of the environment we inhabit?
What sort of agency do we have when these sounds start to disappear?


The Silencing is a sensitive exploration of the role of the spectator in a theatre space. It mirrors what is happening outside of it – the profound impact that human activity has on its physical surroundings. On stage, a group of young storytellers establishes a shared practice of listening by interweaving autobiographical narrations, speculations, and audio recordings. They fill the theatre space with words and sounds. Until words fail them and there are no more stories to tell.

concept & direction
david weber-krebs
dramaturgy
simone basani
performance
may abnet, ashley ho, julie mughunda in collaboration with ezra fieremans
sound composition
pali meursault
costume design
aidan abnet
light design
pablo fontdevila
set design advice
paola villani
technical director
pablo fontdevila
coaching of the performers
isabelle barth
communication
alice ciresola
production
infinite endings
co-production
kaaitheater, new theatre institute of latvia & productiehuis theater rotterdam (for act: art, climate, transition), c-takt, buda, wpzimmer and walpurgis
with the support of
monty and kunstenwerkplaats
funded by
the flemish authorities
thanks to
Q-O2, de school van gaasbeek vzw, jonas rutgeerts, leonie persyn, radical_hope
trailer of The Silencing © Luca Mattei

Stijgt het volume in de theaterzaal? by Leonie Persyn, and published by Etcetera, explores auditory horizons and dynamic tendencies in contemporary theater and performance arts.

    © Ingus Bajārs / Homo Novus festival

The Silencing at Homo Novus Festival, in Riga, Latvia.
8 – 9 September 2022 at the Dirty Deal Teatro.

    Ashely Ho in 'The Silencing' © David Weber-Krebs
    Julie Mughunda in 'The Silencing' © David Weber-Krebs
    May Abnet in 'The Silencing' © David-Weber-Krebs

The Silencing: an invitation to listen differently by Leonie Persyn

Every new invention brings a new sound into the world. We are overloaded by sounds in our daily lives: from the alarm clock early in the morning to the drawing of the curtains at night.
Sounds get us up and running; they energize, annoy or exhaust us. We consume them and produce them. We cheer, laugh, cry, talk, whisper, burp, rustle, stamp, breathe and snore. We fill the world with noises, but sometimes we can’t do anything else except remain silent.

[…]

    © Enzo Smits
    © Enzo Smits
    © Enzo Smits
    © Enzo Smits
    © Enzo Smits
    © Enzo Smits

Try-out day at Kaaistudio’s, Brussels, with performers May Abnet, Ashley Ho, Julie Mughunda, sound composer Pali Meursault and light designer Pablo Fontdevila.

In residency at Pianofabriek, in Brussels, with May Abnet, Ezra Fieremans, Ashley Ho. Photo shooting by Enzo Smits.

May Abnet wandering around Brussels and visiting the places of her childhood during the research phase of The Silencing.

A week in Riga, joined by sound artist and composer Pali Meursault, to kick off the rehearsals for The Silencing. Test of the first ideas with some Latvian artists: Kate Krolle, Inta Balode and Janis Balodis.

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agenda

de brakke grond, amsterdam

performance

OORtreders festival, neerpelt

performance

theater rotterdam

performance

homo novus, riga

performance

kaaitheater, brussels

performance
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