Selected Press
To the accompaniment of a plaintive bass aria from Bach, four "yoofs" whirl around in a dodgem car. Looking like some bizarrely beautiful exo-skeletal organism, the dodgem is just the moving centre for a flying-buttress display of sensuous and consensual abandonment. – Paul Taylor, Eye on Monday, 13 October 1997
All is chaotic and noisy, like a large family, until Platel periodically uses dance to turn the madness into a harmonious celebration of life. – Adam Goldstein, Morning Star, 17 October 1997
Turning the Roundhouse into a dodgem car roundabout, the young Belgian cast... span out dreams, jokes and nightmares with feverish relish. – Hampstead and Highgate Express, 17 October 1997
[T]he performance encompassed talking, dancing, fighting, singing. driving, smoking, yelling and stripping. Nothing ordinary about it." – Barbara Newman, The Dancing Times, December 1997
[A]ll that matters is the balletic beauty of the dancer-drivers as they glide between states of individual and co-operative display" – Jeremy Kingston, The Times, 13 October 1997
Alain Platel
Alain Platel trained as a remedial educationalist, and is an autodidact choreographer and director. He is best known for his pioneering work with the internationally acclaimed Belgium companies Les Ballets C de La B and Victoria (now Campo). Bernadetje was presented by Artangel in 1997 on a dodgem track with a mixed race company ranging in age from 8-85. And Iets op Bach was brought back twice to the South Bank in 1998, a dark and joyous urban epic featuring a trio of opera singers and a disparate group of social outcasts.
"So what does Platel stand for?" asks the Les Ballets C de la B website. "There is no unequivocal answer. His world is not neatly divided into sheep and wolves, a man is also a woman, and nothing can ever be only beautiful. It is never either/or."
Arne Sierens
Arne Sierens is a playwright and director working in avant garde theatre. Productions, mainly in Ghent dialect, result from months of research and integrate both music and dance. Sierens often produces his own set design: bumper cars in Bernadetje, an ice rink in Maria Eeuwigdurende Bijstand and a blue circus ring inTrouwfeesten en processen enzovoorts.
Images: (above top) Alain Platel (pictured right) with Orlando Gough in the Artangel office during the production of Because I Sing, 2001; (above) Arne Sierens c. arnesierens.be; (left) Bernadetje performance 1997. Photograph by Kurt Van der Elst
Production Credits
Bernadetje by Alain Platel and Arne Sierens
Adapted by Rebecca Prichard
Presented by Artangel and the Round House Trust in association with the Royal Festival Hall
Cast
JEAN (owner of Star Cars) - Lies Pauwels
JACK (taxi driver at Star Cars) - Dirk Pauwels
KELLY (a dancer / singer) - An Pierle
DARREN (Rich's mate) - Frederik Debrock
TAMARA (Darren's Polish girlfriend) - Magdalena Przybylek
RICH (Darren's best mate) - Titus Devoogdt
GINO (Angelo's older brother) - Charlie Martens
ANGELO (Gino's kid brother) - Hakim Boulyou & Simon Dhanens
FRANCES (Jean's daughter) - Anna Buyssens & Laura Neyskens
SHERRI (a schoolgirl) - Seline De Cloet & Hannelore Vanheerswynghels
JESSICA (Sherri's mate) - Melanie Nunes & Nejla Yilmaz
Crew
SET DESIGN - Pol Heyvaert
D.J .& SOUND ENGINEER - Timme
LIGHT DESIGN - Philippe Digneffe
COSTUME - Pynoo
STAGE MANAGER - Philippe Digneffe
TECHNICAL CREW Piet Depoortere / Herman De Roover / Johan Lanoo
TRANSPORT - Sven Nieuwejaers
CHILDREN'S ESCORT, PROPS & WARDROBE - Hilde Gythiel
TRANSLATION - Rebecca Prichard
PHOTOGRAPHY - Kurt Van der Elst
PRODUCTION - VICTORIA
Thanks to: FERDI GIGENGACK AMUSEMENT - EXPLOITATIE (dodgems) / BELGACOM (phone booth) / DE WETFEN VAN KEPPLER (canvas)
Image: (left) Bernadetje performance 1997. Photograph by Kurt Van der Elst
Who made this possible?
Credits
Bernadetje was a Victoria (now Campo) production presented by Artangel in association with the Roundhouse Trust and Southbank Centre.
Artangel is generously supported by the private patronage of The Artangel International Circle, Special Angels, Guardian Angels and The Company of Angels.
