Black - A Journey into Europe's Heart of Darkness: Congo | NTGent
13.11.22 02.12.22

Black - A Journey into Europe's Heart of Darkness: Congo Luk Perceval / NTGent

Luk Perceval Ntgent Caly Smutek Belgii Maciej Zakrzewski 3 Maciej Zakrzewski
In 'The Black - Yellow - Red Trilogy: A Journey into Europe's Heart of Darkness', director Luk Perceval zooms in on three dark periods in Belgian history. In 'Black' this is the exploitation of Congo under Leopold II.
practical

tickets

15 - 28 euros

general info

✔ DUTCH, ENG, FR, GER spoken
✔ DUTCH, ENG surtitled
✔ Thanks to our Theatre Tablet you can also enjoy: 
ICON_tablet_Tekengebied-1-kopie_40px-1.jpg#asset:12712125 Dutch+, French and Polish surtitles.

estimated duration

1h30


As a source of inspiration for Black, Luk Perceval used a true account by one of the first travellers to Congo in history: African-American William Henry Sheppard, billed as the 'Black Livingstone’. Sheppard travelled from New York to Africa via London in February 1890 as a missionary for the Presbyterian church. Together with his white travel companion Sam Lapsley – both men still in their early twenties at the time – he began a life-changing adventure across completely unknown territory, where he encountered one surprise after another.

Unlike Lapsley, who couldn’t physically cope with the mission, Sheppard thrived, until the money from the church ran out and he had to return to America for new funds. On his return, he was vocal about the abuses in Congo, and he is one of the first to denounce Leopold II’s disgraceful exploitation.

In Black, a reconstruction of Sheppard’s authentic travel logs will be made, inspired by the fiery lectures he gave to win financial support. He didn’t shy away from dramatic effect and exhibited art and utensils, responding to the craving for exoticism by the average Westerner. In America at that time, Sheppard’s lectures provided more than one shock: due to the colour of his skin, black spectators were allowed into theatres for the first time where he appeared, admittedly in the highest balcony. Sheppard’s story testifies, alongside a deep-seated fear for the unknown, to a ubiquitous racism.

52 Taxsheltercropped
credits

text

Fiston Mwanza Mujila, William Sheppard, Aminata Demba, Nganji Mutiri, Steven Heene, Luk Perceval, geïnspireerd door James Baldwin, Jef Geeraerts, Gil Scott-Heron, William Shakespeare, Giordano Bruno, Pagan Kennedy, Lucas Catherine, Joseph Conrad, Jean-Paul Sartre, Aimé Césaire en zuster Adonia

direction

Luk Perceval

dramaturgy

Steven Heene

scenography

Annette Kurz

assistant scenography

Sammy Van den Heuvel

costume design

Ilse Vandenbussche

light design

Mark Van Denesse

direction assistant

Liesbeth Standaert

production management

Sebastiaan Peeters

technical production management

Oliver Houttekiet

stage manager

Marc Swaenen

intern dramaturgy

Lilly Busch

stage technique

Eddy Deschepper, Ramon Blancquaert

sound engineering

Jannes Noorman, Frederik Vanslembrouck

lighting technique

Sander Michiels

tour manager

Katrien Seeuws

dresser

Micheline D'Hertoge

music

Sam Gysel

assistant sound

Sibbe Velghe

realisation costumes

An De Mol, Mieke Vander Cruyssen

set realisation

Luc Goedertier, decoratelier NTGent

props

Flup Beys

technical and production coordination

Patrick Martens

this production was realized with the support of

The Belgian Tax Shelter

thanks to

Steve Dugardin, Elke De Brouwer, Ted Stoffer
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credits

text

Fiston Mwanza Mujila, William Sheppard, Aminata Demba , Nganji Mutiri , Steven Heene , Luk Perceval , geïnspireerd door James Baldwin, Jef Geeraerts, Gil Scott-Heron, William Shakespeare, Giordano Bruno, Pagan Kennedy, Lucas Catherine, Joseph Conrad, Jean-Paul Sartre, Aimé Césaire en zuster Adonia

direction

Luk Perceval

dramaturgy

Steven Heene

scenography

Annette Kurz

assistant scenography

Sammy Van den Heuvel

costume design

Ilse Vandenbussche

light design

Mark Van Denesse

direction assistant

Liesbeth Standaert

production management

Sebastiaan Peeters

technical production management

Oliver Houttekiet

stage manager

Marc Swaenen

intern dramaturgy

Lilly Busch

stage technique

Eddy Deschepper , Ramon Blancquaert

sound engineering

Jannes Noorman, Frederik Vanslembrouck

lighting technique

Sander Michiels

tour manager

Katrien Seeuws

dresser

Micheline D'Hertoge

music

Sam Gysel

assistant sound

Sibbe Velghe

realisation costumes

An De Mol , Mieke Vander Cruyssen

set realisation

Luc Goedertier , decoratelier NTGent

props

Flup Beys

technical and production coordination

Patrick Martens

this production was realized with the support of

The Belgian Tax Shelter

thanks to

Steve Dugardin, Elke De Brouwer, Ted Stoffer
Until it holds from the inside With closed eyes, you can see whomever you’d like There's all that future, still Beyond madness, tenderness awaits Only humans can fantasise