Annelies Verbeke, the author of Slaap! (sleep!)and Vissen Redden (saving fishes), has written Rail Gourmet; a new script for and in close collaboration with Wunderbaum. Jens Bouttery (Camp Jesus) will perform live music. A metropolitan triptych, on location in several cities in Flanders and the Netherlands. The performance is currently being created in Rotterdam and Brussels, and will have its opening night in the latter city on 19 February 2009.
Wunderbaum about the cooperation with Annelies Verbeke: ‘We were very keen to work with Annelies Verbeke, as we are fascinated by the universe she evokes in each of her books, and also due to the epistolary dialogue that she wrote for STUKKEN (pieces) for theatre group STAN, together with Yves Petry. She manages to link minor personal stories to major recognisable emotions, universal longings and global anxieties. She is very good at describing neuroses, and what greater behavioural patterns or personality traits lie behind that. Her characters are always hurt and highly sensitive. In stead of shielding themselves, they continue to live with all their senses wide open. They are brave, they want to break through barriers, to fight against themselves and the world.

They are actively in search of happiness, even though they haven’t the slightest idea what it is or where they might find it. Therefore, they are very often theatrical, tragic characters. In addition, we also very much like her sense of humour, that is harsh and yet sweet, a bit feeble and yet very smart, mad and mind-expanding.

For Rail Gourmet, Annelies Verbeke has again created special characters, which she has brought together in a universe full of parallel worlds. A railway station in Brussels becomes a metaphor for all those worlds in which people pass each other by without any real contact. We show characters who nevertheless have relationships in this environment and who try to save them, or who still manage to get in touch with each other for a moment. It provides crepitating sparks. Moments of high tension as these characters are all very emotionally charged, and for a moment find a way out.

actors Maartje Remmers, Wine Dierickx, Matijs Jansen, Walter Bart
script Annelies Verbeke
dramaturgy Jeroen Versteele
music Jens Bouttery
design Maarten van Otterdijk 
coproduction Rotterdamse Schouwburg
in collaboration with KVS

With thanks to deBuren, Rail Gourmet Belgium