| Maker | Bambie |
| Duration | 60 min |
| Part of | Season 26-27 |
Wild, absurdist theater puts Disney in its place
In Bambie speelt Bambi (‘Bambi plays Bambi’), theater company Bambie takes you far beyond the sweet Disney version of the story. Expect a visual, wildly absurd, and emotionally charged performance by a powerful company that has been creating gripping theater for over twenty-five years. Familiar scenes from Bambi are given a completely new meaning, opening the door to important questions about growing up and finding your place in the world.
Finally, the original story of Bambi
In Disney’s version, Bambi grows up in an idyllic forest where all of the talking animals are friends, and he eventually fulfills his destiny as the father of new Bambis. But in Felix Salten’s original book, nature is harsh and Bambi ends up completely alone. Because to survive, you have to learn to rely on yourself.
An ode to loneliness
In Bambie speelt Bambi, Disney’s romanticism and Salten’s realism are placed side by side. Iconic film scenes are reimagined, from Bambi’s sweet birth to the death of his mother. The forest is suddenly inhabited by human figures (including QiQi van Boheemen from Joe Speedboot) with animal instincts. All of it circles around the question: what is our “natural” destiny?
Who is BAMBIE?
For more than twenty-five years, Mimetheatergroep Bambie has been creating witty and compelling physical theater, where the body becomes a mirror of the human soul. Absurdist, dreamy yet wild, and full of strange scenes, (slapstick) fights, and exaggerated, deeply recognizable emotions. They are a force in Dutch theater.
Jochem Stavenuiter
Jochem is one of the founders of Mimetheatergroep Bambie and spent several years as a maker/performer with the Noord Nederlands Toneel. He has also performed with several other companies, including Orkater, Alex d’Electrique, and Ro Theater. As a director at OOrkaan, he created works such as De Suleika’s en het mysterie van de gevoelige snaar, Het strijkkwartet van meneer Sax, Sticks, and Cellokrijgers. Long ago, Jochem and Paul made Mannetjes in bad, a series of short films for Sesame Street.
Paul van der Laan
Paul helped found Mimetheatergroep Bambie and has also worked with TgEcho (De Poolse Bruid), Maas theater en dans (Stilte), and Alex d’Electrique (Bezet Gebied), among others. He also appears in the film adaptation of Lampje, based on the book by Annet Schaap.
Performers/makers: QiQi van Boheemen, Odin van Diepen, Jochem Stavenuiter
Directors: Jochem Stavenuiter and Marijn van der Jagt
Compositions and sound design: Amber Docters van Leeuwen
Lighting design: Manuel Boutreur
Korzo Zaal