NTGent

PROFILE

NTGent has a turbulent history. The city theatre dates back to 1899. For a long time, this theatre was used as the second stage of the Antwerp KNS. It was only in 1965 that Ghent got its own theatre company, the NTG or ‘Nederlands Toneel Gent’ (Dutch Theatre Ghent). In 1997, Jean-Pierre De Decker became the artistic leader. With De Decker as leader, NTG tried to attract a larger audience. In 1999, NTG merged with the smaller Arca theatre. Not only classic, contemporary and experimental theatre was played, but also children’s theatre and youth theatre. NTG was renamed Publiekstheater in 2001. After the death of De Decker, financial manager Dirk De Corte got the final responsibility and started looking for a new artistic leader. In 2005, he found an artistic manager in the person of Johan Simons.

The Dutchman Johan Simons is internationally renowned for his work as director, first with the small and talked-about ‘Theatergroep Hollandia’, later on in Eindhoven with the larger ‘ZTHollandia’. Simons changed the name to NTGent, to break with the past, to link the theatre with the city and to assure the artistic continuity.

NTGent is an international theatre company that stands in dialogue with society. In order to resist the changing reality, theatre should position itself ‘in the middle of the world’. NTGent has become a theatre company with a sharp eye on society, but with compassion for those living in it. In addition to producing plays, NTGent chooses to participate actively in the public debate on man and world views. Thus the theatre has been transformed into an open place where contemporaries – theatre makers and spectators – share their thoughts, fears and dreams with each other.

The repertory of NTGent deals with important themes about mankind (as in the adaptation of novels by Arnon Grunberg and Michel Houellebecq), about leadership through historical and contemporary texts (the Greek, Shakespeare, former Prime Minister Wilfried Martens) and about morality through performances that give meaning to reality in a very direct, almost documentary way.

NTGent explicitly chooses to work with an open ensemble which consists of actors, authors, directors, dramaturges and designers. The attention is focused on the work of director Johan Simons, but other theatre makers can develop their ideas in so-called ‘satellites’. At this moment, there are three satellites: theatre maker and actress Sanne van Rijn, writer Peter Verhelst and theatre group Wunderbaum. The Berliner Bert Neumann was appointed as designer-in-residence in 2005. He designed the sets of De asielzoeker (The asylum seeker) and Platform, and his LSD company is responsible for the house style of NTGent.

The theatre, built in 1899, is located in the centre of Ghent, in a triangle formed by the cathedral, the belfry and the town hall. The theatre has 530 seats with a good scenic view. In addition to productions in the theatre at the St. Bavo's Square, in Arca and in Minnemeers, there are co-operations with the Vooruit, Time Festival and Victoria Deluxe. NTGent wants to manifest itself as a city theatre inside and outside the city, inside and outside the theatre. The balanced planning per production and per series of performances – from the NTG/Publiekstheater-period - has been replaced by a varied repertory, which enables NTGent to turn up in various formats, on different places, in several cities and countries.

NTGent has built up an internationally renowned repertory. Het leven een droom (Life is a Dream) and Merlijn (Merlin) both directed by Simons were co-productions with the RuhrTriennale, Maeterlinck, directed by Marthaler was played in Paris and in Berlin, in 2009, Simons will create Kasimir en Karoline for the festival in Avignon.

Artistic director Johan Simons is going to leave NTGent in 2010 to manage the Münchner Kammerspiele. Until then, Simons continues to work at the city theatre of Ghent to improve the future prospects. In 2010, he will be succeeded by Wim Opbrouck. Opbrouck is part of the actors ensemble and will combine his function as artistic leader with acting. By choosing Wim Opbrouck as successor, NTGent wants to tighten the bonds with the city and to strengthen its international presence. Furthermore, NTGent wants to continue working and creating with its own ensemble.

STRIKING PRODUCTIONS

Platform (2005) is an adaptation of the third novel of Michel Houellebecq, directed by Johan Simons. By playing Houellebecq, NTGent does not want to condemn the morals of Western mankind, but he wants to confront people with a double mirror: one of disgust and happiness. Platform was chosen for the ‘Theaterfestival’ in 2006 and was selected as one of the most striking productions in ‘Topstukken 2007’.

Opening Night (2006) is a co-production of NTGent with ‘Toneelgroep Amsterdam’. Director Ivo Van Hove staged the script of the American writer and film director John Cassavetes. In Opening Night we follow a theatre company in the hectic period before the premiere of a new show. Elsie de Brauw received the Theo d’Or for her role as Myrtle. Opening Night was also selected for the ‘Theaterfestival 2006’ and is programmed in New York and Los Angeles in 2008.

Kamp Jezus (Jesus Camp, 2008) is the first big stage production of the actors group Wunderbaum. It is a production about the attempt of Western man to uplift oneself through Christianity. Kamp Jezus tells us the story about a generation that, despite having everything it needs, still experiences emptiness. For Kamp Jezus, Wunderbaum consciously focuses on the Christian tradition and not on an indefinable, higher force. The production was well received by believers as well as non believers.

Tien geboden (Ten commandments, part 1, 2007) is a theatre adaptation of the series Dekalog/Ten commandments of the Polish film maker Krzysztof Kieslowski. This series consists of ten short films about people on a turning point in their lives. NTGent and Wunderbaum present these stories in two parts, the first part discussing the first five commandments. Ten commandments, part 2 is expected in 2009.

NTGENT, Sint-Baafsplein 17 - 9000 Ghent, Belgium