Vanaf nu heet je Pjotr
Synopsis
Six women – twelve instruments – a compelling story – Schubert and screaming sewing machines.In a country where men wage war and women are left on the sidelines, a small group of women is forced to survive in an improvised sewing workshop.
Day after day, they prepare the clothes of war victims to be used again. As soon as one batch is finished, the next is already waiting. But when the delusions and nightmares of war invade the workshop, the monotonous clatter of the sewing machines is drowned out, and the women are no longer willing to accept the meaninglessness of their lives.
Via Berlin creates music theatre combining original texts with music from the classical world repertoire. Following the resounding success of their first production, A Mouth Full of Sand, actress Dagmar Slagmolen and violinist Rosa Arnold created a new music theatre production with Orkater/De Nieuwkomers. This time, Rosa brought along her talented Ragazze Quartet.Premiered at the International Oerol theater festival
followed by performances on festival Over t IJ in Amsterdam and toured the Dutch Theaters in 2011 and 2012.
International premiere: Tempo festival Brasil 2012
Awarded with the Charlotte Köhlerprice 2014, as part of the Via Berlin war-triptych.
Reviews
“A beautiful, poetic music theatre production.”— Vincent Kouters – de Volkskrant
“(…) But then I saw Via Berlin’s From Now On, Your Name Is Pjotr – a duo given the opportunity to develop under the wing of theatre company Orkater. It may well have been the most beautiful thing I have seen at Oerol in recent years. Theatre that moves you, stays with you, changes you.”— Erik Betten – column, Friesch Dagblad
“From Now On, Your Name Is Pjotr gives the silent witnesses of the violence of war a poetic voice.”— Marco Weijers – De Telegraaf
“This year, Dagmar Slagmolen and Rosa Arnold once again present a gem of a production. 'Vanaf nu heet je Pjotr' is a deeply moving production with a universal theme, in which music and text beautifully reinforce one another. After the final notes have faded into the forest, many in the audience are left with a lump in their throat. What remarkable quality from these young artists!”— Mieke Kreunen, Cultuurpodium Online