A WILD JOURNEY THROUGH POPULAR CULTURAL CLICHÉS

Under the name of Nieuw Symbolistisch Theater, Iva & Petar created a visual-comedy production first called Le Triomphe de la Fidélité, later An Antique Soap Opera, composed as a bizarre baroque revue; a serie of ‘divertissements’ featuring the whole spectrum of puppet-like larger than life grotesque characters.

The show was based on popular melodramatic motifs picked-up from numerous  ‘classical’ ballets, operas and operettas, deliberately fragmented, cut and thrown in a bizarre mixture. But the purpose of the show was never a parody of opera or ballet. The idea behind was…

CREATING A COMEDY WITHOUT WORDS

But to create a comedy without words, using only masks, (dance) movement and a prerecorded sound-track was in itself yet another challenge. After many trial-and-error experiments, ultimately the final version of the show was created – with almost mathematical precision of the audience reaction (laughter/applause) that counts in comedy. Larger than life grotesque characters; Quick changes; Scenic Illusions; Originality of stage effects; Movements executed with almost mechanical precision of ‘ubermarionettes’, and at the end of the show a breathtaking surprise-effect that only 2 performers appeared in the role of more than 25 characters ensured the desired and deserved effect that brought them to a broad audience, touring throughout Europe at a great number of large theatres, festivals and opera-houses. >> important appearances