published by: Elke Van Campenhout, De Standaard on 08 May 2006
,,Walking Oscar'': a musical for aliens
“Walking Oscar”: a frenzied musical with texts by Oscar van den Boogaard
Oscar van den Boogaard has written some kind of fragmented diary of memories. His stories are about ordinary things: a trip to Knokke for pheasant with chicory; lovers and faithful followers; city dwellers and parents. His observations are detailed and critical. He makes sums of possible lovers and observes urban life as a decor for his concoctions, but above all, he tells about his dolls, those manipulable, smooth, perfect vehicles of his imagination.
His dolls seem to serve as a model for real life. They live a life that humans could only dream of. Maybe we live our lives just like a fantasy, a constant imitation of their doll’s lives.
Thomas Hauert’s company ZOO plays with those text fragments in the performance Walking Oscar. The writer’s reveries are embodied in quite a literal way: the dancers are sitting behind a transparent screen, onto which the text is projected. Their bodies can be seen through the words and only take shape by the associations that arise between them and the stories.
They personify typical characters from musicals, such as the sailor, the cowboy or the diva. But their bodies remain isolated. The contact between the characters is minimal and seems inspired by a compulsory scenario: dolls playing they are human beings, a couple on a couch, a dog on a doormat. They search for a form for emotions that they have only read about. With thin voices they sing about love and devotion. But on the stage, they do not get much further than some uncomfortable manipulations that they impose themselves. The voices are either too aggressive or too shrill. The music is just too little concrete to become a recognisable tune. The text is studied by the dancers as a language course, as if they were totally unfamiliar with speech.
The performance looks like an alien version of a musical. The choreography is alienating and influences the interpretation of the (at first sight) effortlessly understandable text by Van den Boogaard.
Walking Oscar is a bizarre show. The excitement that is normally associated with musicals, is interrupted and jerkily sent into the audience. It is music theatre like you have never seen before, a performance that makes you peek in despair at your neighbour. But at the same time the combined play of the projected text and the isolated images on the stage creates an intriguing spectrum of possibilities.
Walking Oscar is a doll’s house in which you can make up your own scenario. It is a playground for your imagination and memory. It is a performance like an invitation towards the spectator.
,,Walking Oscar'', by Thomas Hauert and his company ZOO. Seen at the KunstenfestivaldesArts in Brussels on May 6. Until May 10 at the Kaaitheater. Tickets: 070-22.21.99.
