Elektra Unbound
Guided by ideas of fame and success, and other full-blown delusions, three auditioners go to a mad extent to get the part of Elektra. In ancient Greek tragedy, Elektra is a girl who wants. She wants to avenge her father’s death and everyone will hear her suffering. Sobbing and cursing, cursing and sobbing: Elektra hardly does anything else. She never leaves the doorway.
Similarly, the three auditioners are trapped in a sensational montage of interviews and improvs. As they interpret iconic scenes from The Oresteia, the full trilogy about Elektra and her dysfunctional family, they start to reveal their disastrous own lives.
"Irreverent, awfully intelligent, and horrifically funny"etcetera
Late-bloomer director Lua and her fierce assistant Lucius, who have a troublesome relationship, never arrive at the point of actually staging Elektra. Is their inability the result of the complex relation we all have with tragedy, or is there more at play? Why is Lua frantically running away? And why do we get the feeling that these auditioners are all deranged?
Inspired by melodrama and social media, Elektra Unbound switches scenes as if the audience would swipe screens. Anything to keep the discomfort on stage easily digestible.
"RIGHT THROUGH THE FAKE DRAMA DRILLS THE ECHO OF 2,500 YEARS OF LIVED, AUTHENTIC SUFFERING"De Morgen ****
credits
with
Abigail Gypens , Bavo Buys , Emma Van Ammel , Luanda Casella , Lucius Romeo-Frommtext
Luanda Casellatranslation & surtitles
Werkhuisdirection
Luanda Caselladramaturgy
Joline Vermeulenmusic composition
Pablo Casellavideo design
Pablo Casellalight design
Dennis Dielsset design
Shizuka Hariucostume design
Jo De Visscheracting coaching
Jan Steenchoreography & movement coaching
Lucius Romeo-Frommproduction
NTGentcoproduction
DE SINGEL, HAU Hebbel am Ufer- 16 Feb 24 — De Standaard (BE) - "Waarom de theaterregisseur zichzelf te kijk zet" (recensie Elektra Unbound)
- 24 Jan 24 — E-tcetera (BE) - "Elektra Unbound - Luanda Casella & NTGent: Een (zelf)portret van een kunstenaar" (recensie Elektra Unbound)
- 24 Jan 24 — De Morgen (BE) - 'Hier sta ik. Ik deed het’: Luanda Casella verweeft slim oude tragedie en actuele maatschappijkritiek in ‘Elektra Unbound’ (recensie Elektra Unbound)
- 18 Jan 24 — Klara (BE) - Luanda Casella over 'Elektra Unbound'
- 18 Jan 24 — De Morgen (BE) - "Op de planken is de oudheid actuelere dan ooit" - (over Elektra, Medea, Perzen én ALL GREEKS)