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Penthesilea

This is a Rock Opera mixed with a nineteenth century play about the lengths people will go to for lust. Penthesilea, the Queen of the Amazons, can only have sex with a man she has defeated in battle. She wants Achilles, the undefeated and greatest warrior of the Greeks. Trouble ahead!

Literally a battle of the sexes

The actors deliver the text in gorgeously dramatic Dutch (with English surtitles) while the song lyrics are in English. The actors can rock the socks off, with visceral guitar-band renditions of back catalogue tracks that your mother would worry about, such as Joy Division’s She’s Lost Control. And merging the glamour of guitar heroes with the glamour of warrior heroes works perfectly.

Apart from the drama of what is literally a battle of the sexes, there are jokes that break the fourth wall, interesting diversions on the implications of how a society of women would actually work, and humour in the ancient clichés that each sex applies to the other. (Women are too emotional, men are too arrogant.)

Unfortunately there is a little bit too much respect for von Kleist’s original text. At the play's conclusion, Penthesilea descends into such wild and irrational hysteria that, like the Furies the men liken the Amazons to, she literally does not know what she is doing. You are distracted by the feeling that the character is being typecast in a way that cuts across the tone of the rest of the production and the emotional power is lost. A tragedy.

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Performances

Location

The Blurb

UK PREMIERE

Internationaal Theater Amsterdam presents a visceral, sexy and grungy reinterpretation of an ancient love story with the medium of music.

Ferocious and emotionally charged, Internationaal Theater Amsterdam’s production of Heinrich von Kleist’s Penthesilea is a powerful fusion of a rock concert and an ancient tragic love story.

Penthesilea, Queen of the Amazons, belongs to an all-female society of warriors, who can only have sex with men they have defeated on the battlefield. Locking eyes with the Greek army commander Achilles during battle in the Trojan War, Penthesilea falls in love at first sight and vows to defeat him. The star-crossed lovers wrestle between the demands of their war-faring societies and the wishes of their hearts.

Director Eline Arbo is renowned for breaking down boundaries. Her latest play defies gender convention, traditional staging and cultural norms, creating something frantic, thrilling and sensual.

After her critically acclaimed debut at the 2022 International Festival with The End of Eddy, Eline Arbo returns with ITA for this shocking, erotic retelling of von Kleist’s classic 1808 production, likened to Baz Luhrmann’s Romeo + Juliet.

Post-show talk: 4 Aug

Supported by Performing Arts Fund NL

A keepsake freesheet is available at the venue for this performance.


Internationaal Theater Amsterdam
Eline Arbo After
Heinrich von Kleist

Eline Arbo Director & Adaptation
Thijs van Vuure
Composer & Musical Director
Heinrich von Kleist
Writer
Gerrit Komrij Translator
Bart Van den Eynde
Dramaturg & Adaptation
Pascal Leboucq Set Designer
Alva Brosten Costume Designer
Varja Klosse
Lighting Designer
Dennis Slot
Sound Designer
Daniël 't Hoen, Zorba Huisman Assistant Director

Cast Daphne Agten, Marieke Heebink, Maarten Heijmans, Maria Kraakman, Jesse Mensah, Ilke Paddenburg, Eefje Paddenburg, Felix Schellekens, Steven Van Watermeulen

Jeroen van Ingen and Jaap Kooijman, Bertil van Kaam Private producer
Inge Zeilinga, Michiel van Schijndel Production-leader
Stijn van der Leeuw Stage manager
Toon de Vries, Thijs Veerman, Kevin Cuyvers, Zinzi Kemper, Rinse de Jong, Paul Meijer, Nelis Meijer, Wouter Pieters, Pepijn van Beek Technical staff

Mirjam Venema Hair and make-up
Carlijn Veurink Dresser

Erik Borgman Surtitles

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