Arts Centre Vooruit, Ghent, Belgium

A singing nun from Irkutsk, a monk warming himself by the electric heater, and a pot of porridge on the stove during prayers… Lotte van den Berg shows religion from its most human side. She found inspiration when travelling through Siberia and Mongolia. The winters are so cold there that the churches can’t be heated, so masses take place in kitchens or barns.

According to Van den Berg, the play is about “the beauty of trying to believe in something. About people who try to express their non-understanding of things by saying a prayer or singing a song. Maybe every act is a prayer and an attempt to connect to the world around you. How do people give new meaning to repetitive actions like eating an apple or crossing the street? And what happens when you can’t bow your head anymore, fold your hands or find the right words?

Lotte van den Berg is a young Dutch playwright who was recruited to work for the Toneelhuis by Guy Cassiers. This will be her first performance in a large theatre hall. In this monumental space, she will emphasise the fragile, yet resilient insignificance of man. The images she uses to serve this end are incredibly beautiful and poignant.
Later on this season, her play Stillen will also be performed at Vooruit.

You can read Lotte Van Den Berg’s blog on www.toneelhuis.be

Watch the trailer: