De Vader
Residencies
- 14.09 > 26.09.2026
- 26.05 > 30.05.2026
- 07.07.2026
- 07.07.2026
- 03.11 > 14.11.2025
The Father is the new production by artist duo Marieke & Sophia, inspired by August Strindberg’s living-room drama of the same name (1887). Together with Anna Franziska Jäger and Rodrigo Batista, they rework this dated, sexist piece into a confrontational performance. What if Strindberg’s worldview is less outdated than we might think?
In the original plot, a father spirals into an existential crisis when his wife plants doubt about his paternity. Who is he without power over his own flesh and blood? The patriarch loses control, and ultimately perishes.
Starting from Strindberg’s fear of becoming obsolete, the makers challenge the classical ideal of manhood and search for more fluid forms of (male) authority. The meaning of the male body shifts: from punishing and disciplining to vulnerable, porous, and an object of desire. Father becomes daddy.
The Father is a physical performance about victimhood, masculinity, and power. Blending performance, singing, and text, the makers attempt to grasp the patriarchal scripts that continue to shape the present day.
concept Marieke&Sophia I performance Anna Franziska Jäger, Marieke Schraepen, Rodrigo Batista, Sophia Bauer I dramaturgie Bauke Lievens I eindregie Geert Belpaeme I lichtontwerp Jan Maertens I kostuums Alexandra Panou I scenografie Eva Demulder I outside eye Jonas Baeke I productie KWP Kunstenwerkplaats I coproductie Monty, BUDA, workspacebrussels I met de steun van De Vlaamse Gemeenschap, Vlaamse Gemeenschapscommissie I met dank aan CAMPO, KVS, De Brakke Grond, 30CC Leuven, CC De steiger, Gouvernement & Willem De Wolf