Whatchamacallit
KIEM Festival

PROJECT

Whatchamacallit

Whatchamacallit is a performance exhibition of people inspired by 19th century freak shows. No freaks as sensation or billboard, no entertainment or tricks, but five performers who use their bodies as art objects, viewing objects, objects of power and of desire. In a time of constant digital self-profiling, we ask ourselves: how do we use and deploy our bodies to be loved or to succeed? How do we deal with the objectification of our bodies and how does it affect us as human beings?

The theatre is transformed into a museum setting: a landscape of different installations of bodies, sound boxes and screens. No classical theatre-setting. You choose who you want to watch, like a kind of live Instagram.

The four performers pose their divergent bodies. Every ‘perfect’ corner of their bodies is shown. Every inch of skin is being stretched, poked and shaken, including their excess skin, rolls of fat and crow’s feet.

The body is the essence, technique is the extension. Through TV screens and sound boxes connected to the performers, you discover the figurative insides of their daily lives and bodies. We hear their guilty pleasures, desires, turn offs and confrontations. In whatchamacallit we experience the strong urge to expose fragility and  what we normally want to hide. With humour and rawness, this performance searches for the ultimate intimacy and humanity between performers and audience. The performance plays on the exciting

Charlotte Goesaert

1987 BE
Charlotte Goesaert (1987) is a Belgian choreographer, dancer and performer. After graduating in 2009 from the Fontys Dance Academy in Tilburg, she lived in the Netherlands and worked internationally. As a dancer and performer she was involved in creations such as Skagen (Almschi, 2011), Tuning people (Synchroon, 2019), Romeo Castellucci (Giudizio, Possibilit, Essere 2014) and Post from Hessdalen (Echo, 2019). She worked in Rotterdam with city company Ro Theater, in Lisbon with choreographer Olga Roriz, in Berlin with Alize Zandwijk and in Cologne with dance theatre company Bodytalk/Johann Kresnik.

Credits

choreography: Charlotte Goesaertperformance: Andreia Rodrigues, François Vincent, Véronique Mees, Jef Stevensdramaturgy: Sara Vanderieck & Sarah Joos(Internship)sound-video composition: Jochem Baeluscostume design: Wim Muyllaertlight design: Lucas van Haesbroeck & Barbara De Wittechnical design & scenography: Thierry Wildersbusiness: Astrid De Haestechnical: Alexander Hoogveldbuilder: Laurens Duerinck, Atelier Debontekoe Van Putgraphic design: Cato Speltincxproduction: Sarah Joosspecial thanks to: Karolien Derwael, Rhea Murphy, Steffi Jöris and Joost Maaskantco-producers: C-TAKT (BE,Neerpelt) || KAAP (BE, Bruges) || wpZimmer (BE, Antwerp) || Vlaams Cultuurhuis de Brakke Grond (NL, Amsterdam) || VIA ZUID (NL, Limburg) || Theater im Pumpenhaus (DE, Münster) || Festival Tweetakt (NL, Utrecht) ) || DansBrabant (NL, Tilburg) || with financial support of the City of Antwerp Stad Antwerpen and the Flemish Government.supported by: Arenberg (BE, Antwerp) || De Nieuwe Vorst (NL, TIlburg) || laGeste (BE, Ghent) || CAMPO (BE, Ghent) || De Grote Post (BE, Ostend)