4 million Dutch people have a brain disorder. The Brain Foundation comes up with that figure in a campaign to make people more aware of the consequences of brain injury. Often that injury leads to extreme sensitivity to stimuli. Then loud noise, bright light or sharp smell is suddenly a big problem. People who suffer from these can find it difficult to go outside. That is why there is an increasing focus on low-stimulation places to go out. On Thursday 23 June, just to experience it for once, I sat in the Delamartheatre in Amsterdam at a low-stimulus performance.
One degree less
Those who get all kinds of weird images of low-stimulation theatre are partly right. After all, you go to the theatre, or to a concert or film, to be stimulated. Low stimulation seems to be an internal contradiction. There was a primordial version of a play, Metamoorfose, specially designed for people with hypersensitive ears. It was not allowed to sound louder than 65 decibels anywhere in the auditorium, and together with a beautifully singing chamber choir, it came very close to an intense theatre experience, only slightly disturbed by an overly sacred text. But that can still be tinkered with.
Thanks to this afternoon, I have therefore started to think differently about low-stimulus art. Sometimes there are just too many stimuli in art, and it's okay to take it down a notch, even for people without a diagnosis.
One of the guests at the afternoon, organised by Foundation Unlimited Enjoyment, was Margôt Ros. The well-known actress (Tower C) received a set piece on her head several years ago, which caused her considerable brain damage. She could no longer cope with any stimulus. She is now doing better, but during the closing panel discussion, the glare of a theatre lamp on the table was still too much for her.
Low-incentive foyers
The problem of glare could be overcome by simply standing somewhere else. This just goes to show that removing stimuli does not always have to lead to a complete adaptation of the theatre or performance. Sometimes you can do something yourself against overstimulation.
Yet adaptation is also sometimes necessary. A representative of HNTonrestricted told about the measures taken by the National Theatre to remove barriers for those sensitive to stimuli. Sometimes these are physical measures. Low-note versions of each production are also made, and the sensitive audience is given special guidance, their own dressing rooms and a separate foyer where there is no clinking of glass or loud talking. The performances themselves get fewer lighting effects, less volume in the sound.
Rolling on the river
During the afternoon, the organisation once again made the difference. Singer and Sister Act star Carolina Dijkhuizen unexpectedly entered the stage to sing a piece from Tina Turner's Rolling on the River at full show volume. Extreme lighting effects made it a rather difficult experience for everyone in the stimulus-poorly filled hall. Later, she returned with a low-incentive version, where the lights remained dimmed and the volume of the orchestra tape was set so low that she could easily still get over it without amplification. Amplification was chosen anyway, which was a pity, really.
What was particularly striking was how much more pleasant the low-incentive Tina Turner was. It reminded me of performances by Discordia or Guy Cassiers: theatre that is soft and often acoustically excellent to enjoy for anyone, whether or not they are diagnosed irritable.
Heroes on an empty stage
I can still remember from the first time I discovered it at a stadium concert. Itt was 1983 and the Kuip was packed for Bowie's Serious Moonlight concert. A great up tempo show with lots of scenery, dancers and lights. Beautiful and overwhelming, but what stayed with me was a very sober version of Bowie's mega hit Heroes, with the star lonely on an empty stage, without too much fuss. Empty can be beautiful, full is not always better.
It also raises the question of whether, with the technical achievements of modern theatre, we sometimes overestimate ourselves. Why does everything have to be controlled and amplified? What is wrong with buildings designed to make the human voice audible and intelligible to every corner?
Panic fantasies
Last week, The Guardian reported a tantalising story on how stress can cause you to become more sensitive to stimuli and panic fantasies. The author made a connection to society, in which an economic crisis, a pandemic and threats of war cause collectively elevated levels of our stress hormone. The cure, according to psychiatrists: fewer stimuli. So maybe we are all ready for an evening of low-stimulation theatre.
It can be done, that much has been proven.
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