Het Leven, een Gebruiksaanwijzing (2013)

On Wednesday, May 8, 2013, "Life: A User's Manual" premiered. A location-based project with a cast of 17 actors, it ran for three weeks at the De Overkant industrial estate (formerly the Stork site) at Dansmakers aan het IJ. Like a voyeur, the audience peers into a living room. A woman enters. Then someone else joins, then another, and another, and another, until the room is completely filled. Do they live here? Is it their own home? Do they live together, or are they alone? It's as if the residents of a random street have gathered in this one room. They desperately try to maintain their own routines and become confused when they fail. Chaos ensues, because what are they supposed to do when their certainties are gone? When their familiar, daily routines no longer make sense. When they no longer have the space to follow their own will. What do they do then? In 'Life: a User's Manual' Ahlbom shows a mini-society adrift, in which people do their utmost to do things differently, but rarely succeed.

Credits:

Concept en regie: Jakop Ahlbom
Dramaturgie: Judith Wendel
Spel: Inez Almeida, Raoul Dumas, Luc van Esch, Karlijn Hamer, Judith Hazeleger, Alfred Heppener, Marje Hirvonen, Sofieke de Kater, Judith de Lange, Gwen Langenberg, Jakob Proyer, Thomas van Ouwerkerk, Lotte Rischen, Rocco Vermijs, Lena Visser, Shane Wezenberg, Bas Zemering
Understudies: Anna Gehlin, Marinke Eijgenraam, Klaus Jürgens
Vormgeving: Douwe Hibma, Jakop Ahlbom, Remco Gianotten (assistent)

Techniek: Yuri Schreuders, Tom Vollebregt, Allard Vonk, Michel van der Weijden, Alfred van der Meulen
Zakelijke leiding & informatie: Marc Pil
Boekingen Nederland: Senf Theaterpartners
Muziekontwerp: Wim Conradi m.m.v. Bauke Moerman
Kostuumontwerp: Esmée Thomassen, Kyra Wessel (assistent)
Speciale props en make-up: Rob Hillenbrink

Make-up & haarwerk: Nienke Algra
Lichtontwerp: Yuri Schreuders
Productie: Sarah Faye van der Ploeg
Publiciteit: Janko Duinker, Danae Bos
Educatie: Laura Liefting
Trailer: Patrick Minks, Jaap Veldhoen
Scenefotografie: Sanne Peper

Met dank aan: Alles voor de Kunsten, Caroline Bleeker, Hans Brouwer, Jan Doense, Productiecollectief/Janneke den Engelsen, Christel Gouweleeuw, Durk Hibma, Anil Jagdewsing, Vito van Lent, Emmalot Morel, Pien Roeland, Monique van Schendelen, Niek Snel, Michiel Slee, David Tim, Tessa Verbei, Roelof Vossebeld, Freek Wieringa, Woedy Woet.

Financieel mogelijk gemaakt door:Fonds Podiumkunsten en Gemeente Amsterdam