Not sitting back and putting up a fight, that's what the new company Woodman did, consisting of Tanya Zabarylo, Joke Emmers, Thomas Janssens and Matthias Meersman, with Evelien Bosmans working as a coach. Their first brainchild 'Lubricant for life' is a real pick-me-up. Yes, where had the fun gone? For many people life becomes heavy to bear: the lingering fear of climate change, natural disasters, high energy prices…
During the corona times, the company went in search of the blind spot and after a few brainstorming sessions came up with an original and sharp idea. A happiness revue. This production doesn't cause fever spikes but it does bring happy feelings. Placed in the societal context of the pandemic, it finds more than ever a reason for being. It is therapeutic. People are allowed to sing, cuddle, dance and laugh again. Activism for a good cause, so to speak. The performers take to the stage with a healthy dose of self-deprecation and not-giving-a-damn attitude. The title, 'Lubricant for life', was carefully chosen and selected. A 'lubricant' to make life digestible.
Go with the flow
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2020/01/20. Antwerpen. "2020 - lubricant for life"[/caption]
They put their heads together and 18 short, diverse scenes were prepared for performance. The audience, who had been left wanting for so long due to corona, is interactively involved in the spectacle. Different people, randomly selected from the audience, get to draw an envelope. This way the order of the scenes is determined by chance. The oppressive reality of the past year and a half is countered with entertainment of the highest order. They celebrate life together with the audience. Happiness is achievable. Theatre may not be able to change the world, but it can give the audience a boost, a shot of positive energy. It's not all rosy either. The short fragments also contain some sadness and nostalgia, such as in '1921' where Tanya Zabarylo sketches her roots. For the rest, these four young thirty-somethings leave a trail of merriment and joy with Joke Emmers at the helm. A young, amiable actress who is full of laughter and positivity. She positions herself as a laughter coach and the audience doesn't hold back, also singing along at the top of their lungs to André Hazes' song 'Leef'.
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2020/01/20. Antwerpen. "2020 - lubricant for life"[/caption]
Cuddling is allowed in the scene 'Der Bär', shortly after the actors form a tight circle with some spectators from the front rows. The relativity of gurus is exposed in a parody. 'The residents' meeting' is hilarious because quarreling, rivalry and voyeurism are so recognizable. There's a lively dance number. Tanya Zabarylo sings a few beautiful ballads with perfect pitch. Various tasks follow for the quartet. One of them is to order pizza for the entire audience. The tension is cleverly ratcheted up. At the end of the performance, a young pizza delivery person actually delivers the goods. Overwhelmed by finding himself in a full auditorium and a performance in full swing, the delivery person is completely flabbergasted. It turns out there are indeed points of agreement. The actors manage to persuade him to recite a poem. It ultimately turns out this too is fake. Everything was staged. In any case, the audience lapped up this light-footed performance full of dynamism.
INFO
- WHAT: Lubricant for life, lunch performance
- WHEN: premiere Tuesday 28 September
- WHERE: BOZAR, Brussels
- WHO:
- Production: Woodman
- Actors: Tanya Zabarylo, Joke Emmers, Thomas Janssens and Matthias Mersman,
- Coach: Evelien Bosmans