"Aalst gives us a glimpse into the thoughts of two murderers, but also says something about us, the audience and jury." - De Morgan

February 1 - 3, 2007, 9pm
The Scotiabank Dance Centre

Matinee
February 4, 2007, 4pm
(No evening performance)

Post-show Talkback
Friday, February 2, 2007

Concept, direction and design Pol Heyvaert
Text Pol Heyvaert and Dimitri Verhulst
Featuring Lies Pauwels and Jeroen Perceval
Technical director Piet Depoortere
Voice Jackie Dewaele
Soundtrack Reinhard van Bergen, Bent van Looy and Niek Meul (DAS POP)
Drawings Larsen Bervoets

In 1999, in the tiny Belgian town of Aalst, a couple murdered their children. Their trial forms the basis for Aalst, faction theatre (fact/fiction) of the purest sort. It is a story based on reality in which statements and interviews are reproduced exactly but to which new and fictional elements are added. "They had found each other. Their lives had drifted together, become entwined, interwoven, knotted, soldered, burnt, beaten and hammered together, and it was clear that only a hard hand would be able to sever this tie. They remind us of an African poem about two absolute lovers who fit together in the way only a matching salt cellar and pepper pot fit together; two receptacles that look exactly alike, identical except for the holes.” – from Aalst

Aalst opened in early 2005 to critical acclaim and considerable notoriety, as one of the convicted killers unsuccessfully sought an injunction to have the play banned. The play has been touring internationally for two years.

Victoria is an adventurous and polyvalent production platform for the performing arts based in Ghent. Its keywords are synergy, discovery, fragility and guts. It is a place where artists can grow and experiment, a hotbed of new theatrical developments, a crossroads of international trends, a meeting place for artists, and a residence for homeless artists. It caters to all generations and is active in a wide range of disciplines. Victoria is also a building, a house, a small theatre and the home of artistic director Dirk Pauwels and his committed team. www.victoria.be.