De zaak Shell Anoek Nuyens & Rebekka De Wit / De Nwe tijd & Frascati

Theatre makers Anoek Nuyens and Rebekka de Wit attended shareholder meetings of multinationals, read speeches and interviews from Shell, plowed through government agreements and policy papers and systematically noted the comments of their uncles and neighbors whenever the climate crisis was discussed at Christmas dinners.

The motive is a real lawsuit that was pending and had been filed by a group of NGO’s against the oil giant. The stakes: forcing Shell to radically change their business. Shell’s defence? “Not we, but the consumer has to change.”

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During the Gala of the Dutch Theatre Festival, The Case of Shell  won the 2021 award for directing and the 2021 Arlecchino: “The Case of Shell  is both razor-sharp and confusing. The thorough research has been translated into a strong text and a daring staging. The stage here is a platform for diverse perspectives. The players create their characters through dedication, concentration and accurate acting. With their commitment and the consistent elaboration of the concept, the performance seduces the spectator to a position that varies from empathy to aversion. Skillfully, the direction stays away from the judgement of individual characters. Therefor the spectator can become internally entangled in the fluid role of listener, referee and ally.”