Hotel Modern observes humanity using shrimps (interview)
A shrimp at the operating table cuts out a patient’s brain tumour. A shrimp proposes marriage to his sweetheart; a shrimp in a boxing ring knocks out his opponent: scenes that are as absurd as the are familiar.
The Rotterdam theatre company Hotel Modern observes humanity through the shrimp. As Pauline Kalker from Hotel Modern points out, ‘In the performance Shrimp Tales we depict humanity with all its charms and shortcomings. Humanity is a very busy species. We have to go to the moon, we have to do sports, we have to do so much,’
As Herman Helle, Kalker’s partner, sees it, humanity is a fascinating plague. ‘Humanity makes huge demands when it comes to establishing its position on this world.’
Why use the shrimp is a symbol for humanity? Arlène Hoornweg, the third member of the trio answers, ‘Shrimps are very photogenic. They have expressive eyes and a cute quiff. They exude a certain curiosity. They serve well both as a human figure and as an animation puppet.’
In the tragicomic performance Shrimp Tales the shellfish make love, go camping in a tent in the pouring rain, play a game of billiards and watch Antiques Roadshow. We do not see them, however, in the conference room (‘Boring for the audience to have to watch’) or on the floor of the stock exchange. ‘There is nothing about the credit crisis. We don’t allude to anything topical,’ says Herman Helle. ‘We make one exception in the case of the shrimp weatherman. We try to gear forecasts to reality. If it’s freezing outside, he’s not going to predict a heat wave.’
The scenes could be set in Rotterdam: shrimps go wild to Gabba music, for example. ‘But none of the shrimps answer to the name Jules Deelder,’* says Kalker, setting the record straight using a familiar figure from the city on the Meuse.
The shrimps vary in size, but hardly at all in colour. Does Shrimp Tales overlook our multicultural society? ‘We only make a distinction in age and gender,’ says Hoornweg, ‘We use our voices to make it clear to the audience whether it is a male or female shrimp that is going to be opened up, or whether the murder was committed by a male or a female shrimp.’
The ingenious set consists of 53 miniature locations and a film screen. Helle, Hoornweg and Kalker track past the shrimps with a finger-sized camera. On the screen, the audience can follow events at the various locations.
The audience does not get to eat the approximately 350 actors at the end. As the makers explain, ‘The shrimps are dried for about ten minutes in a microwave. There is nothing but powder in the shell. They are also hardened with epoxy and varnished. We wouldn’t advise anyone to put them in their mouth’
Hotel Modern are unconcerned about possible criticism from the parliamentary Animal Party. ‘At a meal, only one person gets to enjoy the shrimps; the way we do it, they give pleasure to entire audiences,’ explains Pauline Kalker.
*Jules Deelder (1944) is a renowned poet-performer from Rotterdam
02-02-2009
