Adriaan Van Aken
Last Call

Adriaan Van Aken Last Call

Adriaan Van Aken
Last Call

Een tienermeisje loopt weg van huis naar een nabijgelegen stad. Niemand merkt aar op, maar is er eigenlijk wel iemand naar haar aan het zoeken? Het urban stripverhaal voor volwassenen van graphic novel artiest Philip Paquet en theatermaker en -regisseur Adriaan Van Aken wordt tot leven gebracht, en brengt live stemmen, dynamische video's, projectie, geluid en muziek samen in een opwindend fantasie van theater en kunst.

 

A teenage girl runs away from home to the city. Nobody notices, but is there actually someone looking out for her? Belgium’s foremost graphic novel artist, Philip Paquet, and playwright/director Adriaan Van Aken’s urban adult comic book is brought vividly to life, fusing together live voices, dynamic video, projection, sound and music into a thrilling after-dark fantasia of theatre and art.

tekst, concept, regie
Adriaan Van Aken

tekeningen
Philip Paquet

muziek
Joris Caluwaerts

spel, vertaling
Sara Vertongen

titelnummer
Inne Eysermans

videobewerking & FX
Kristof Van Perre en Adriaan Van Aken

video, lichtontwerp
Geert De Vleesschauwer

lichtontwerp
Thomas Verachtert

geluid
Bregt Janssens

At Edinburgh Fringe

LAST CALL wordt aangeboden door
HET NIEUWSTEDELIJK, BIG IN BELGIUM, RICHARD JORDAN, THEATRE ROYAL PLYMOUTH

text,concept, director
Adriaan Van Aken

drawings
Philip Paquet

music
Joris Caluwaerts

play, translation
Sara Vertongen

title song
Inne Eysermans

video editing and FX
Kristof Van Perre en Adriaan Van Aken

video, light design
Geert De Vleesschauwer

light design
Thomas Verachtert

sound
Bregt Janssens

At Edinburgh Fringe

LAST CALL is presented by
HET NIEUWSTEDELIJK, BIG IN BELGIUM, RICHARD JORDAN, THEATRE ROYAL PLYMOUTH

Zaterdag16.04.201620:30Theater Malpertuis, Tielt
Donderdag12.05.201620:00Theater Zuidpool, Antwerpen
Woensdag03.08.201622:40Summerhall - Fringe Festival , Edinburgh
Vrijdag05.08.201622:40Summerhall - Fringe Festival , Edinburgh
Zaterdag06.08.201622:40Summerhall - Fringe Festival , Edinburgh
Zondag07.08.201622:40Summerhall - Fringe Festival , Edinburgh
Dinsdag09.08.201622:40Summerhall - Fringe Festival , Edinburgh
Woensdag10.08.201622:40Summerhall - Fringe Festival , Edinburgh
Donderdag11.08.201622:40Summerhall - Fringe Festival , Edinburgh
Vrijdag12.08.201622:40Summerhall - Fringe Festival , Edinburgh
Zaterdag13.08.201622:40Summerhall - Fringe Festival , Edinburgh
Dinsdag16.08.201622:40Summerhall - Fringe Festival , Edinburgh
Woensdag17.08.201622:40Summerhall - Fringe Festival , Edinburgh
Donderdag18.08.201622:40Summerhall - Fringe Festival , Edinburgh
Zaterdag20.08.201622:40Summerhall - Fringe Festival , Edinburgh
Zondag21.08.201622:40Summerhall - Fringe Festival , Edinburgh
Dinsdag23.08.201622:40Summerhall - Fringe Festival , Edinburgh
Woensdag24.08.201622:40Summerhall - Fringe Festival , Edinburgh
Donderdag25.08.201622:40Summerhall - Fringe Festival , Edinburgh
Vrijdag26.08.201622:40Summerhall - Fringe Festival , Edinburgh
Zaterdag27.08.201622:40Summerhall - Fringe Festival , Edinburgh
Zondag28.08.201622:40Summerhall - Fringe Festival , Edinburgh
Maandag03.10.201620:30Spijshuis Schoofs / CLUB BAMSTAT, Hasselt
Dinsdag04.10.201620:30Spijshuis Schoofs / CLUB BAMSTAT, Hasselt

Adriaan Van Aken text, concept, director
Philip Paquet drawings
Joris Caluwaerts Music
Sara Vertongen play, translation
Inne Eysermans title song
Kristof Van Perre en Adriaan Van Akenvideo editing and FX
Geert De Vleesschauwer video, light design
Thomas Verachtert light design
Bregt Janssens Sound

At Edinburgh Fringe LAST CALL is presented by HET NIEUWSTEDELIJK, BIG IN BELGIUM, RICHARD JORDAN, THEATRE ROYAL PLYMOUTH

Last Call is the English version of Dansen Drinken Betalen – (almost) The Movie. It is in fact almost a movie. But it's also a lot more than that. Playwright and theater director Adriaan Van Aken and graphic artist Philip Paquet transformed their new comic book into a dynamic video projection for the big screen. Live on stage, actress Sara Vertongen and keyboard miracle Joris Caluwaerts (well known Belgian pop bands Zita Swoon, Stuff, Magnus,...), add voices, sounds and music to the graphic story. Result? The most vivid and at the same time most comfortable reading of a comic book that you could ever wish for

Last Call is an engaging example of the multimedia direction that theatre is going. **** Catherine Lamm in British Theatre Guide 

The interplay between music, speech and projection is flawless, the art is beautiful and atmospheric, and overall this is a slick, stylish production that ends with satisfyingly frustrating ambiguity. **** The Edinburgh Spotlight 

It is beautifully paced by writer/director Adriaan Van Aken, relying on projections from the novel itself, which seem to stalk Sara through the night with both playful and sinister intent. *** Andrew Latimer in Fest 

This production is a masterclass in mixed media fusion: Joris Caluwaerts' live musical score is evocative and lyrical, Philip Paquet’s drawings brim with attitude and menace and Sara Vertongen’s voicing of the central protagonist is simply stunning – her voice clipped, measured, bristling with bile. She nails this character. She gets her. Jaw droppingly good – live acting rarely gets better than this.***** Roy Hutchins in FringeReview

Go see this. In fact, I suggest you make it the final show you see at the Festival this year. It will be something to take away with you that will really last. ***** Roy Hutchins in FringeReview 

This is a truly unique performance and one that lives long in the memory. The hour zips by, and the performance ends at a moment that leaves you wanting even more. A testament to the skill of both the theatre maker and graphic novelist, Last Call is an entrancing and memorable piece of performance. **** 1/2 David Doyle in ReviewsHub

Sultry, sophisticated and unutterably cool. *** David Kettle in The List

 Sara Vertongen veers from quiet and dreamy to raucous and challenging as the narrator, using her own expressive translation from the original Dutch, while Joris Caluwaerts accompanies on lush processed acoustic piano and fuzz guitar. *** Nick Awde in The Stage

 Last Call is an original piece of visual storytelling. It is refreshing to see someone use the language of comic books and marge this with a theatre performance to present a mature and thoughtful story. No superheroes are referenced and no typical over the top comic book tropes are called upon. Last Call is pure storytelling using sequential images and a lot of imagination.  ***** Steven Fraser in TV Bomb 

An inspired piece of late-night programming for its neon-streaked, after-dark tone, this graphic novel show from Belgian company Het Nieuwstedelijk builds an air of unassailable hipster cool in its telling and in its tone.**** David Pollock in The Scotsman (header: "Graphic Novel is a Page Turner)   

Yet what elevates the piece in its sheer quality, from the appropriateness of the music to the technical navigation of the pages on the screen, to - in particular - the wonderful range of captivating humour and emotion with Vertongen’s performance adds. **** David Pollock in The Scotsman (header: "Graphic Novel is a Page Turner)  

 

Adriaan Van Aken (1973) is the most hybrid theatre maker of the company. He combines text and music with audio and video techniques. Apart from theatre, he also makes audio plays and comic books, mostly with a theatrical twist or ways to make a live experience out of it. It's not so much theatre that he likes. He loves 'the stage' in general. That's why his work can also be seen in music clubs, libraries or hybrid arts festivals.

Picture: Adriaan Van Aken & Sara Vertongen (by Maarten Devillé)

 

Dansen Drinken Betalen is the title of the third comic book that Adriaan Van Aken has made with illustrator Philip Paquet. It's the third album that contains a CD. In the first two albums, the CD contained music to go along with the graphic story, following the reader's reading pace. In their latest album the comic book only gives the reader the images, while text and music are on the CD in the back. The audio play can also be enjoyed without the book. But when you combine both, you see and experience the most. Dansen Drinken Betalen - (almost) The Movie, now translated into Last Call, is the live version of this graphic novel + CD. The images are projected on a big screen in a nice and dynamic way while music and voices are performed live. We call it 'almost a movie' - it even has (James Bond-wise) a classic 'theme song' by Inne Eysermans (well known Belgian pop band Amatorski) to go with it - but of course the live experience makes it a lot more just a movie. In 2017/2018 Van Aken, Paquet and musician Joris Caluwaerts will be working on a new, completely digital audio-based comic book, that will go by the name of First Contact. It's an application for iPad and other tablets. Viewers will be able to watch the book as a video or to experience it chapter by chapter in an interactive way. The live version will be ready in december 2017.

You can read, listen and enjoy the Dutch version of Last Call on itunes. Do it. Just to get an idea of the feel. We bet you like it.  Go there now