Works: Bernard Van Eeghem

IF

Bernard Van Eeghem. Who is this man? What motivates him? Where and why does he live?
Come and see IF, his brand-new show. Through a mix of disciplines and a sequence of acts at an incredibly fast pace, Bernard makes the audience get a grasp of what makes life worthwhile for him. Song and dance, mime and political statements, poetry and anecdotes, theatre and art history, it will all be covered at large. A performance that flies by, until reaching a thrilling climax that grabs you by the throat.

‘Pouce!’ is a remake of ‘IF’ in collaboration with Katja Dreyer, inwhich she reveals in a schematic way, the rather anonimous livestory of Bernard who at first is not visible on stage.

Thus it begins with a song, then another song and after that he dances or rather he moves in a very particular way, drawing circles of light, unveiling an enormous lookalike Picasso painting of his late portrait period i.e. just before the Second World War began. But don’t mention the war! Yes, don’t mention anything at all! Just sing and dance along, unfold the history of that everlasting love for his female companion on stage. She’s so beautiful and also very talented and he likes that stunning combination. So she reveals his story and he has to cope with it. But never a dull moment, whether he likes it or not and so later on, he’s telling her story. They exchange places and become visible ghosts to each other and everything starts over in a loop. Conclusion: all you need is love to kill your darlings in about twenty minutes knowing each minute tells the truth. Obladi oblada!

Credits

Concept, text: Bernard Van Eeghem
Performance: Bernard Van Eeghem, Katja Dreyer
Outside-eye: Esther Severi
Production: Hiros
Coproduction: Beursschouwburg, Kunstencentrum BUDA
Thanks to: Kunstenwerkplaats Pianofabriek, Tandem Douai-Arras / Théâtre d’Arras, Ellen de Naeyer
With the support of: Vlaamse Overheid