Bernadetje

Developed over three years - the first theatrical performance at London's arts venue The Roundhouse in 15 years - Bernadetje was a visceral 75 minutes on a dodgem track, performed by 11 people (mostly teenagers), 5 bumper cars and a soundtrack of Bach, Prince and disco-kitsch mixed live on stage.

Both director and writer Arne Sierens and choreographer Alain Platel grew up near the village Oostaker in Ghent; here a fairground sits next to a replication of the grotto at Lourdes where 14-year old Bernadette saw visions of the Virgin Mary. They brought this juxtaposition and its questions and clashes to the stage. The cast, aged between 9 and 17, developed the piece through a series of improvisations centered around the exciting, chaotic and dangerous space of a fairground. Tamara argues in Polish with her boyfriend, Jean calls her employee Jack a dirty thief and a pervert whilst her silent daughter lurks resentfully on stage. The audience long to jump on stage and join in the bumper car fuelled action.

In the mid 90s, following the success of William Forsythe and Dana Caspersen's Tight Roaring Circle, Alain Platel and Arne Sierens were invited to begin thinking about the Roundhouse and about the borough in which it is situated. A remedial educationalist by training, Flemish director and choreographer Alain Platel was credited with helping to reposition the status of theatre by and for young people on the European cultural map. The presentation of Bernadetje was the first stage in a long term process that united some of Platel's young collaborators from his hometown of Ghent, Belgium, and a group of young people in Camden.

Image: Bernadetje performance at the Roundhouse in 1997. Photograph by Kurt Van der Elst

Selected Press 

To the accompaniment of a plaintive bass aria from Bach, four "yoofs" whirl around in a dodgem car. Looking like some bizarrely beautiful exo-skeletal organism, the dodgem is just the moving centre for a flying-buttress display of sensuous and consensual abandonment. – Paul Taylor, Eye on Monday, 13 October 1997 

All is chaotic and noisy, like a large family, until Platel periodically uses dance to turn the madness into a harmonious celebration of life. – Adam Goldstein, Morning Star, 17 October 1997

Turning the Roundhouse into a dodgem car roundabout, the young Belgian cast... span out dreams, jokes and nightmares with feverish relish. – Hampstead and Highgate Express, 17 October 1997 

[T]he performance encompassed talking, dancing, fighting, singing. driving, smoking, yelling and stripping. Nothing ordinary about it." – Barbara Newman, The Dancing Times, December 1997 

[A]ll that matters is the balletic beauty of the dancer-drivers as they glide between states of individual and co-operative display" – Jeremy Kingston, The Times, 13 October 1997

Images: (above top) Alain Platel (pictured right) with Orlando Gough in the Artangel office during the production of Because I Sing, 2001; (above) Arne Sierens c. arnesierens.be; (left) Bernadetje performance 1997. Photograph by Kurt Van der Elst

Production Credits

Bernadetje by Alain Platel and Arne Sierens 
Adapted by Rebecca Prichard

Presented by Artangel and the Round House Trust in association with the Royal Festival Hall

Cast
JEAN (owner of Star Cars) - Lies Pauwels
JACK (taxi driver at Star Cars) - Dirk Pauwels
KELLY (a dancer / singer) - An Pierle
DARREN (Rich's mate) - Frederik Debrock
TAMARA (Darren's Polish girlfriend) - Magdalena Przybylek
RICH (Darren's best mate) - Titus Devoogdt
GINO (Angelo's older brother) - Charlie Martens
ANGELO (Gino's kid brother) - Hakim Boulyou & Simon Dhanens
FRANCES (Jean's daughter) - Anna Buyssens & Laura Neyskens
SHERRI (a schoolgirl) - Seline De Cloet & Hannelore Vanheerswynghels
JESSICA (Sherri's mate) - Melanie Nunes & Nejla Yilmaz

Crew
SET DESIGN - Pol Heyvaert
D.J .& SOUND ENGINEER - Timme
LIGHT DESIGN - Philippe Digneffe
COSTUME - Pynoo
STAGE MANAGER - Philippe Digneffe
TECHNICAL CREW Piet Depoortere / Herman De Roover / Johan Lanoo
TRANSPORT - Sven Nieuwejaers
CHILDREN'S ESCORT, PROPS & WARDROBE - Hilde Gythiel
TRANSLATION - Rebecca Prichard
PHOTOGRAPHY - Kurt Van der Elst
PRODUCTION - VICTORIA

Thanks to: FERDI GIGENGACK AMUSEMENT - EXPLOITATIE (dodgems) / BELGACOM (phone booth) / DE WETFEN VAN KEPPLER (canvas)

Image: (left) Bernadetje performance 1997. Photograph by Kurt Van der Elst

Credits

Bernadetje was a Victoria (now Campo) production presented by Artangel in association with the Roundhouse Trust and Southbank Centre.

Artangel is generously supported by the private patronage of The Artangel International Circle, Special Angels, Guardian Angels and The Company of Angels.

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