Is it possible – if so, by what means – to perform the life of child killer Marc Dutroux with children? Swiss theatre director Milo Rau and his International Institute of Political Murder (IIPM) have conquered the greatest international stages in recent years with their matchless political theatre. Their works are based on testimonies and reconstructions of true stories, and mercilessly break through the taboos of our age. Together with the CAMPO arts centre from Ghent, they have set up an ambitious project involving children and teenagers between 8 and 13 years old. Rau uses the biography of the country’s most notoriously shameful criminal to sketch a brief history of Belgium and to reflect on the (re)presentation of human feelings on stage.
"Five Easy Pieces" probes the limits of what children know, feel, and do. Purely aesthetic and theatrical questions blend together with moral issues: How can children understand the real significance of narrative, empathy, loss, subjection, old age, disappointment, or rebellion? How do we react if we see them acting out scenes of violence or love and romance? In particular, what does that say about our own fears and desires? This makes for a confrontational experience.
One hundred years ago, Igor Strawinsky wrote his "Five Easy Pieces" as an educational tool to teach his children to play the piano. With "Seven Easy Pieces", Marina Abramović played some iconic moments of performance art. In Milo Raus’ "Five Easy Pieces" children are initiated in emotional and political absurdities and the bottomless pits of the adult world. What does it mean to involve children in adult theatre? What does that tell us about power and subjection, theatre and performance, and mimicry and humanity? "Five Easy Pieces" is an experiment in narrating pieces of history in five sets.

CONCEPT, TEXT, DIRECTION Milo Rau
TEXT, CAST Rachel Dedain, Maurice Leerman, Pepijn Loobuyck, Willem Loobuyck, Polly Persyn, Elle Liza Tayou, Winne Vanacker, Hendrik Van Doorn

PERFORMANCE FILM Sara De Bosschere, Pieter-Jan De Wyngaert, Johan Leysen, Peter Seynaeve, Jan Steen, Ans Van den Eede, Hendrik Van Doorn, Annabelle Van Nieuwenhuyse
DRAMATURGY Stefan Blaske
COACH DIRECTION ASSISTANT, PERFORMANCE COACH Peter Seynaeve
CHILD CARE, PRODUCTION ASSISTANT Ted Oonk
RESEARCH Mirjam Knapp, Dries Douibi
SET AND COSTUME DESIGN Anton Lukas
PRODUCTION CAMPO, IIPM
COPRODUCTION Kunstenfestivaldesarts Brussels 2016, Munchner Kammerspiele, La Batie – Festival de Geneve, Kaserne Basel, Gessnerallee Zurich, Singapore International Festival of Arts (SIFA), SICK! Festival UK, Sophiensaele Berlin, Le phenix scene nationale Valenciennes pole europeen de creation

Tickets: 
50/30 PLN
English Subtitles