Het Houten Huis

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Het Houten Huis

Visualising the inner struggle of everyday heroes

Language: 

None

Contact: 

Artistic direction: Elien van den Hoek and David van Griethuysen

T +31 (0)6 – 19 16 80 62

E info@hethoutenhuis.org

I www.hethoutenhuis.org

Het Houten Huis produces visually poetic music theatre for both young and old; productions which are conceived to play in a theatre or a site-specific location. The company leads the audience gently away from the beaten track by bringing together humour, pain and beauty in an absurd world,

On the stage are ‘everyday heroes’, wrestling with their fears and longing. Their inner struggle is expressed in an imagery and music that work on younger and older audiences in a way that is as unsettling as it is penetrating, like a dream or nightmare.

Form and content are inextricably bound together. Objects, puppets, projections, masks, physical theatre and live music are applied as appropriate for the subject matter.

Het Houten Huis has created a furore in the last few years with the productions Adios (in collaboration with Speeltheater Holland) and Beet! which were praised by both press and public, and it has won two prizes, De Gouden Krekel ‘best production 2011’ for Adios (directed by Elien van den Hoek) and De Zilveren Krekel ‘most impressive stage achievement 2011’ for composer/musician Martin Franke for both Adios and Beet!

Het Houten Huis will take over the direction of Speeltheater Holland in 2013 confirming it as the theatre company for adults and young people in the province of Noord-Holland.

International: 

With its universal themes and non-verbal performance, Het Houten Huis’ productions have proven successful internationally as well as in the Netherlands with both young and old audiences. Het Houten Huis appeared at the IPAY 2006 in Cleveland, US, where it was awarded the prize for the best production and in 2008 it was invited to the Kaas & Kappes Festival in Germany.

It is anticipated that Het Houten Huis will be performing throughout Europe in 2013 with its productions Adios, Beet! and Vuurtoren Wacht/The Lighthouse Waits.