An empty performance is an attempt to give value to the worthless things around us. It is a quest to look differently.

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The performance plays on location, an abandoned house, an empty school, or an office building left behind. You step into a space, there is only a small light to guide you to your chair, when that goes out, there is total darkness. You lost all perspective. You hear a voice speaking. A story is told, and an experience made. During the performance more and more light from outside is allowed into the space. Little by little the space gets lighter. You start to see the space, which at first side, looks rather boring. 

At one point there will be put down a line of objects in the middle of the space. The objects are things left behind by previous owners or users of the space, like pieces of paper, bracelets, or maybe a dead wasp. The performer sums up all the characteristics of the space, if there are nails in the walls, or words written somewhere. Every details of the space is being told, what makes the space more alive. 

An empty performance played at theatrefestival Chambres d'O Ostend 2016.

c r e d i t s 

Concept and execution: Stijn van Erp
Artistic coaching: Peter Missotten

Pr-image: Stijn van Erp
Thanks to: Theatre academy Maastricht, Peter Pluymen, Liv Laveyne, Anne van Helvoort.