Press
“Mesmerising images” (GP)
“An international dance company is both an artistic family and a cross-section of humanity, which is reflected on an intelligent meta-level in the van Opstal’s unsettling piece ‘To kingdom come’.” (DN)
“Visually strong, compelling work.” (SvD)
“Remains etched in the memory for a long time.” (SvD)
“The drama seems to concern life and death, but also operates as a place of reconciliation and consolation." (SvD)
“The stage has been narrowed to an elliptical arena filled with cork shavings that are disturbed as the dancers move, enhancing their near acrobatic skill and strength” (Borås Tidning)
About
After enjoying stellar dance careers, in recent years Imre and Marne van Opstal have gained increasing recognition as a dance duo with strong physical expression.
In To Kingdom Come, they build a fascinating new world together wih GöteborgsOperans Danskompani. As the curtain lifts, there is an unshakeable sense that something devastating happened – an event that connects the twelve performers in their memory, interpreted through their personalities.
As the lingering smoke slowly clears, the aftermath becomes evident. Their stories are slowly laid bare in a non-linear structure as they each deal with the impact in their own way. The setting shines a light on moments in time, as they take hold of their internal experiences and try to integrate them into a larger whole. From mother to child, from lover to stranger. The smallest things can make the biggest impact, each choice leading to a different outcome. They are a generation sharing trauma, exposing deeper layers within the complexities of human existence and survival.
Using landscape as a metaphor for both an inner world and external triggers, To Kingdom Come explores how a singular event can effect us in different ways. Ripples of trauma reach their limits and masks are laid to rest. When everything has burned to the ground, how would we choose to rebuild ourselves?
Team
CHOREOGRAPHY, SET AND COSTUME DESIGN Imre van Opstal, Marne van Opstal
SET AND LIGHTING DESIGN Tom Visser
ORIGINAL MUSIC Amos Ben-Tal/@offprojects in collaboration with RY X
SOUND DESIGN Amos Ben-Tal/@offprojects
DRAMATURGY AND ASSISTANT CHOREOGRAPHER Xanthe van Opstal
Information
Dancers: 12
Running time: approx. 60 min
World premiere
31 March 2023, GöteborgsOperan
