Neel de Jong

De Jong begint elke performance met een 'blanco vel'. Uit dat niets creeert ze werelden;
etherisch, aards, lieflijk en wild. 'Killing her darlings' elke dag opnieuw, geeft haar werk
een grilligheid die ongewoon is. Zo staat ze de ene dag in een totaal lege ruimte en maakt
ze de volgende dag een stellage. Zoals Mary Brennan schrijft in the Herald: 'I have no
idea if the Neel de Jong show you should try to see, will be the same......I watched
.....Chances are de Jong herself doesn't know....

Toelichting van Neel op 'The lady fool':

SABBATICAL:
Teruggetrokken in een wereld die momenteel beter bij me past dan de theaterwereld
komt de vrede als vanzelf binnenschuifelen. Nu ik weer thuis ben denk ik luchtig: ‘fuck the world’.
Eerst een poosje binnenspelen. Een veel te volle zandbak daarbuiten. Alvast een nieuwe
hoed gekocht en schoenen; dat is een heus nieuw begin!! De wereld draait ook door
zonder mij. Beetje rouwen, dat wel.

Ik ga nu ‘THE LADY FOOL (with long legs and trembling cheeks)’ voor mezelf maken.
IJsjes met slagroom en schoenen als taartjes. Zo nu en dan zal ik een klein proefje
online zetten, zodat u mee kunt smullen. ‘We keep in touch!!’

Kijk voor meer foto's van Edinburgh Fringe en Absolut Fringe Dublin naar de diascrollers op myspace

Hieronder Neel's persoonlijke verteringskanaal van haar ervaringen met
F.L.O.W. in Edinburgh en Dublin:

++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++-------------- ---------
Finding my way back through the thread of Ariadne      Hate comes out the windows
I saw a smiling crowd                                                 and throw me of my feet
I slowly recognised the faces                                      did I made that happen
while hanging on a cloud                                            or shall I tab 'delete'

Review over F.L.O.W.in Edinburgh:
August 18 2009, Mary Brennan, The Herald (****)

'Okay folks - let's hear it for the renegades, the eccentrics, the freespirited talents that cluster
under the banner of dance and physical theatre, but are really looking to make work that
transcends boundaries. Without them, the Fringe would lose some of the magical serendipity
that leaves audiences feeling - knowing - that they've witnessed something different and
special that has possibly changed their outlook forever more'.

I have no idea if the Neel de Jong show you should try to see, will be the same F.L.O.W.
(****) I watched last week at Bedlam. Chances are de Jong herself doesn't know, because
her whole being - and her whole being pours into her on-stage performance - acts as a litmus,
or a chameleon, in response to the world as she sees it at any given moment. Her interests
just now seem to focus on the small things, the simple things that can only be appreciated
if you take time to stop, stare and play. Consciously reconnecting with the wonder you felt
as a child, de Jong has an exquisite capacity for radiating just such a sense of beguiled,
beaming pleasure and amazement. Like any form of meditation - and really, this is at the
heart of what de Jong offers - it demands that you focus on what is being said and shown.
Otherwise the ragbag assortment of actions, the little paper boats and white balloons, will
arrive like bits of forgotten debris that de Jong has rummaged from her costume (and
memory's) pockets. Fabulous. Lucky. Outrageous. World. F.L.O.W. Go with it, and you'll
come out smiling - even the rain and the roadworks won't seem so grim.

Review over F.L.O.W. in Dublin:
September 14, 2009, Art-magazine 'oh Francis'

Fringe 2 in 1 shows offer festival goers the opportunity to see unique musical and theatrical
pairings as part of the same ticket. Tonight, Smock Alley played host to a 2 in 1 show
featuring Neel de Jong, making her ABSOLUT FRINGE debut with F.L.O.W. and French
singer-songwriter perrine de morceaux performing as Essais Emission.

F.L.O.W. (Fabulous, Lucky, Outrageous World) begins with Neel de Jong seated on the
floor beneath a single soft red light bulb. de Jong is dressed as if she is in her dressing
room, having just walked off stage to a standing ovation. However, we soon learn that
our protagonist is a fading star; having shone so brightly beneath the lights of stage and
screen, she is now faced with twin demons of isolation and fear.

What is unique about de Jong’s character is that she is very aware of her demise. We are,
perhaps, her final audience and so there is no need for bravado now. Instead we witness
a human being, stripped bare, and searching for solace at the bottom of a bottle and in
the company of strangers. Yet, despite knowing that her time has passed, and warning
her audience of the pitfalls of fame, one senses throughout F.L.O.W. that de Jong’s
character is so addicted to fame that, given the choice, she would live her life the same
way again. In this performance, the audience are not only asked to take a closer look at
the true price of fame, but F.L.O.W., through powerful writing and intricate choreography,
also demands we examine the very fabric of the human psyche. You leave this beautifully
paced production wondering if it really is acceptable to place people on pedestals before
casually discarding them just because there are countless numbers of people willing to
accept that position.

Overall, this particular Fringe 2 in 1 represented not just excellent value for money but
also showed that, with a little creative curation, it is possible to combine two seemingly
disparate performances in a distinctive and enjoyable way.

Foto gemaakt tijdens Dublin Fringe '09

MEER INFO:

Met support van: DKC Internationaal Rotterdam

Met dank aan :
- Ardito Theater Fotografie: www.ardito.nl
- Festivalpreviews.com: www.festivalpreviews.com
- Azalia Khadjé: kostuum advies

Choreografie, dans, decor, kostuum: Neel de Jong
Piano: Augusto Pirodda
Public Relations, licht, website, flyers, logistiek: Kim Terbrack
zakelijk beheer, licht, film, netwerk, advies: Marja van Draanen
persoonlijk assistent: Jaqueline Kraakman

SPEELLIJST:

Speellijst F.L.O.W. 2009:

Al geweest:
- ! Dublin Fringe Festival 13-16 september, Absolut Fringe Factory
aat Smock Alley, Exchange Lower Street, Dublin 2, 20.00 h (Sun.)
221.00 h (other days), Double-bill with perrine en morceaux
- Den Haag, 7 februari, 28 maart
- Den Haag, 1 maart Neel zingt underground music
- Pulse festival Ipswich 5 juni
- ! Edinburgh Fringe Festival in Bedlam Theatre,
inzon. 9 t/m zat. 29 augustus

TIPS:

- Kijk ook even op de myspace-site

LINKS:

www.edfringe.com
www.rocketvenues.com
www.bedlam-fringe.co.uk
www.festivalpreviews.com
www.fringefest.com
www.ardito.nl
www.dkcrotterdam.nl