Cultura Nova presents: Tortot on the grounds of VDL Castings in Hoensbroek – an anti-war fairytale full of humor, compassion and a sumptuous dinner
From Thursday 5 to Saturday 7 September, Laika and Theater FroeFroe take you into the surreal world of field cook Tortot during the production Tortot at festival Cultura Nova. This special production, to be seen on the grounds of VDL Castings in Hoensbroek (De Koumen 2), offers a powerful and sensory experience that exposes the inhumanity and absurdity of wars with humor and compassion, with a tasty twist.
Tortot: an anti-war fairy tale
In a time of endless wars, Tortot is a field cook who doesn’t care about the warring factions. Always in time, he joins the winning camp. His heart is as cold as a fish’s, but he possesses the gift of preparing a delicious meal with meager ingredients. When one day he finds the very young soldier George hiding in a supply barrel, his life changes. Although he initially wants the child gone, George manages to steal Tortot’s fish heart.
Theater adaptation of novels Sittard writer
Tortot is a theatrical adaptation of the award-winning novels How Tortot Lost His Fish Heart (2016) and Whole Stories for Half a Soldier (2020) by Sittard writer Benny Lindelauf. Laika and Theater FroeFroe have turned both stories into a tender performance about a budding friendship amid the mud and blood of the battlefield, amid the sound of pots and pans, gun clanging and soldiers’ songs.
A sensory total spectacle
Laika’s love of cooking is reflected in this performance, resulting in a sensory total spectacle. A brass band ventures onto the martial stage, supported by FroeFroe’s rich puppetry. A conciliatory meal, full of aromas that make even the enemy want to shake hands, seasons the performance. The audience can literally taste war, with an elaborate dinner by Peter de Bie (Laika) as an integral part of the performance. It is a timeless and tasty fairy tale that exposes the inhumanity and absurdity of all wars with both humor and compassion.
Praised by the press
The press praises the show for its craftsmanship, emotion and culinary creativity. GVA calls it “craftsmanship with puppets that are all emotion,” while PZAZZ praises the atmosphere in which “total strangers offer you the last stewed onion and conversations are conciliatory and friendly. Knack Focus describes Tortot as “probably the tastiest play of the year,” with a rock-solid emotional line that “comes in like a mercy shot. Theaterkrant highlights the impressive performances and rock-hard narrative about the absurdity of war. In addition, last week the Volkskrant devoted a long article to the performance, further exploring and praising the interaction between theater and food.