Actors wearing sort of harem trousers and bamboo sticks on a nondescript playing surface. Some of you may think back nostalgically or with trepidation to the days when there were 'Akademies voor Ekspressie' in the Netherlands. Summits of socio-art. Sometime deep in the 1970s, that is. Maladype Theatre, which hails from Hungary, fits seamlessly into that picture, which we also occasionally see at a loose theatrical sports tournament in our local community centre. Should we, therefore, blame the company featured in the Holland Festival brought an adaptation of Georg Büchner's Leonce and Lena in this format?
Let's not do that for once.
After all, the company comes from Hungary. It was only liberated in 1989, so it makes sense that they are now pretty much where we were in the 1970s, in terms of theatre. On top of that, since the end of communism, things haven't been so fluffy in Hungary at all. There is a far-right government that does not like press freedom and free art, and enforces it with laws and subsidy stops. Maladype is a free society trying to keep itself alive outside the system and deserves our respect for that reason alone.
And taking a closer look at that performance they bring here, there is more to it than meets the eye. Leonce and Lena is one of three plays that Georg Büchner bequeathed to us. A wild youth play it is, remarkably modern for its time and performed here in the country with particular vigour a few times, including by Alize Zandwijk's Ro Theatre.
This Hungarian bamboo stick playsuit version may be miles away from that, but there is a basic idea behind it that is at least as modern. Indeed, the actors have rehearsed every scene of the play in four variations. The ever-present director chooses per scene, per play night, per moment, which scene is played how many times in which way. And the audience has a say. To a certain extent. In this, you can see a statement about the total directionlessness of today's rich life. For example.
Also, this may be reminiscent of theatrical sport, but because it is Leonce and Lena, Maladype is thus also making a statement about the world of young people today. Sport also represents emptiness, and they move around quite a bit, the players. The references to computer games and their spinoffs (Prince of Persia and Mission Impossible come along) are also disarming. A Japanese puppetry scene at the end is even touching.
Remains that you are looking at a totally different world, a different time, a different life than we are used to here. But even that can be quite useful.
Seen at the Holland Festival on 7 June. Still there on 8 June 2011.
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