Darger

Karina Holla threads one pearl after another in the long string of her international theatre career.

Karina Holla threads one pearl after another in the long string of her international theatre career. She received the most prestigious and most important Dutch theatre prize – the Theo d’Or – for her role in Romp and brought public and press alike to ecstasy with her poignant and impressive rendition of War’s Unwomanly Face by Svetlana Alexievich. We eagerly await DARGER – In de Werkelijkheid van de Onwerkelijkheid, about the bizarre life of Henry Darger.

The alchemist Henry Darger transformed his horrific experiences in the gold of his fantastic drawings and stories. He was a recluse who created an equally enchanting as cruel fantasy world of idyllic horrors in total social isolation. It was only after his death that he gained a reputation as an outsider artist.

DARGER – In de Werkelijkheid van de Onwerkelijkheid shows how art can be a mental survival strategy. This evocative performance is a descent into the hell of Henry Darger, which also searches for the magic of his tragic circumstances. Compagnie Karin Holla brings his drawings to life on stage, his visionary world, but also shows the dark aspects of his life, his self-hatred, aggression and self humiliation.

Credits

Concept & play	Karina Holla
Dramaturgy	Jeroen Kriek
Scenography	Theun Mosk
Costumes	Fer Smidt
Music	Rikard Borggård
Producer	Compangie Karina Holla