Katie Mitchell & Vasco Mendonça - LOD Muziektheater

A brother, a sister, a house. They live in the house and never come out. Over time, the habits they have built up there have become rituals. The quiet life they lead offers them a comfortable cocoon, far removed from any threat. Unexplained noises are regularly heard in parts of the gigantic house. The two inhabitants respond by simply sealing these parts off. As time goes by, their living space becomes increasingly cramped. But their habits stay the same. Inspired by a novella by Julio Cortázar, the Portuguese composer Vasco Mendonça and the English dramaturge Sam Holcroft delve into the secrets of the couple, who are played by two singers and supported by an instrumental ensemble. Director Katie Mitchell conveys a sense of the unsaid and of their disturbing alienation on stage. Anyone who has seen the recent opera and theatre pieces that Mitchell has directed will be familiar with her impressive visual idiom and the precision with which she directs the actors. With the 2012 opera 'Written on Skin', she caused a sensation at the Aix-en-Provence festival and in a series of other European cities. 'The House Taken Over' will also premiere in Aix, before opening deSingel's new season.