The show starts when a person comes on stage, walks casually to the microphone, adjusts it and starts talking. The person who is going to do all of this is good at opening scenes. And that’s not easy, to open a show. It’s a big responsibility, because if the first lines are well done, if they land well, then it’s magic. The beginning can’t go on forever. The rest of the show has to happen, and no, we can’t spoil it. But trust us, we’re telling you stories.
In Every Word Was Once An Animal, Ontroerend Goed dances on the thin line between truth and another truth. Forget what you just read. Just remember that half a truth is often a great lie. The five performers shake our certainties. Through dynamic monologues they suddenly bring real false stories that are on a crest line between true and false, fiction and reality. Which stories do we decide to believe? The entire performance is one big game about what a performance is supposed to be. The actors constantly debunk the illusion of theater and the manipulative power of the actor. In fact, they are constantly making us believe all sorts of things. But isn’t that what theater does?
Now forget what you just read. Just remember that a half-truth is often a big lie.
Director: Alexander Devriendt
Actors: Aaron J. Gordon, Bastiaan Vandendriessche, Charlotte De Bruyne, Karolien De Bleser, Shôn Dale-Jones
Text: Alexander Devriendt, Angelo Tijssens, Charles Purcell & cast
Technicians (tour): Pepijn Mesure, Koen de wilde
Scenography/sound/light: Babette Poncelet, Pepijn Mesure, Thibault Annoot (intern)
Costume: Valerie Le Roy, Leentje Kerremans
Production: Marie Peeters, Fien Vandermeersch (intern)
Tour planning: Charlotte Nyota Bischop
Graphic design: Nick Mattan
Video: Angelo Tijssens (regie) & Maxime Lahousse (DOP)
Photography promotional image: Sanne De Wilde
Photography scenery: Mirjam Devriendt
Financial Manager: Wim Smet
Coproduction: Perpodium (B) Theatre Royal Plymouth (UK) Kunstencentrum Vooruit (B) Richard Jordan Productions (UK)
With the support of the Flemish Government and the City of Ghent.
This show was made possible with the support of the Tax Shelter measure from the Belgian Federal Government.
Diffusion: ART HAPPENS
| Date | Performance | City Country | Organisation/Venue |
|---|---|---|---|
| 25.05.2023 | Every word was once an animal | Groningen (nl) | Grand Theatre |
| 26.05.2023 | Every word was once an animal | Delft (nl) | Theater de Veste |
| 27.05.2023 | Every word was once an animal | Breda (nl) | Chassé Theater |
| 01.03.2023 | Every word was once an animal | Turnhout (be) | De Warande |
| 28.08.2022 | Every word was once an animal | Edinburgh (gb) | Fringe Festival/ZOO Southside |
| 27.08.2022 | Every word was once an animal | Edinburgh (gb) | Fringe Festival/ZOO Southside |
| 26.08.2022 | Every word was once an animal | Edinburgh (gb) | Fringe Festival/ZOO Southside |
| 25.08.2022 | Every word was once an animal | Edinburgh (gb) | Fringe Festival/ZOO Southside |
| 24.08.2022 | Every word was once an animal | Edinburgh (gb) | Fringe Festival/ZOO Southside |
| 23.08.2022 | Every word was once an animal | Edinburgh (gb) | Fringe Festival/ZOO Southside |
| 21.08.2022 | Every word was once an animal | Edinburgh (gb) | Fringe Festival/ZOO Southside |
| 20.08.2022 | Every word was once an animal | Edinburgh (gb) | Fringe Festival/ZOO Southside |
| 19.08.2022 | Every word was once an animal | Edinburgh (gb) | Fringe Festival/ZOO Southside |
| 18.08.2022 | Every word was once an animal | Edinburgh (gb) | Fringe Festival/ZOO Southside |
| 17.08.2022 | Every word was once an animal | Edinburgh (gb) | Fringe Festival/ZOO Southside |
| 16.08.2022 | Every word was once an animal | Edinburgh (gb) | Fringe Festival/ZOO Southside |
| 14.08.2022 | Every word was once an animal | Edinburgh (gb) | Fringe Festival/ZOO Southside |
| 13.08.2022 | Every word was once an animal | Edinburgh (gb) | Fringe Festival/ZOO Southside |
| 12.08.2022 | Every word was once an animal | Edinburgh (gb) | Fringe Festival/ZOO Southside |
| 11.08.2022 | Every word was once an animal | Edinburgh (gb) | Fringe Festival/ZOO Southside |
| 09.08.2022 | Every word was once an animal | Edinburgh (gb) | Fringe Festival/ZOO Southside |
| 08.08.2022 | Every word was once an animal | Edinburgh (gb) | Fringe Festival/ZOO Southside |
| 07.08.2022 | Every word was once an animal | Edinburgh (gb) | Fringe Festival/ZOO Southside |
| 06.08.2022 | Every word was once an animal | Edinburgh (gb) | Fringe Festival/ZOO Southside |
| 05.08.2022 | Every word was once an animal | Edinburgh (gb) | Fringe Festival/ZOO Southside |
| 27.07.2022 | Every word was once an animal | Plymouth (gb) | Theatre Royal Plymouth |
| 26.07.2022 | Every word was once an animal | Plymouth (gb) | Theatre Royal Plymouth |
| 25.07.2022 | Every word was once an animal | Plymouth (gb) | Theatre Royal Plymouth |
| 23.07.2022 | Every word was once an animal | Plymouth (gb) | Theatre Royal Plymouth |
| 22.07.2022 | Every word was once an animal | Plymouth (gb) | Theatre Royal Plymouth |
| 21.07.2022 | Every word was once an animal | Plymouth (gb) | Theatre Royal Plymouth |
| 20.07.2022 | Every word was once an animal | Plymouth (gb) | Theatre Royal Plymouth |
| 19.07.2022 | Every word was once an animal | Plymouth (gb) | Theatre Royal Plymouth |
| 16.07.2022 | Every word was once an animal | Plymouth (gb) | Theatre Royal Plymouth |
| 15.07.2022 | Every word was once an animal | Plymouth (gb) | Theatre Royal Plymouth |
| 14.07.2022 | Every word was once an animal | Plymouth (gb) | Theatre Royal Plymouth |
| 01.04.2022 | Every word was once an animal | Roeselare (be) | CC De Spil |
| 31.03.2022 | Every word was once an animal | Ostend (be) | CC De Grote Post |
| 29.03.2022 | Every word was once an animal | Sint-Niklaas (be) | CC Stadsschouwburg Sint-Niklaas |
| 15.03.2022 | Every word was once an animal | Mainz (de) | Staatstheater Mainz |
| 28.01.2022 | Every word was once an animal | Ghent (be) | GIF - Ghent International Festival/Kunstencentrum Vooruit |
| 27.01.2022 | Every word was once an animal | Ghent (be) | GIF - Ghent International Festival/Kunstencentrum Vooruit |
| 26.01.2022 | Every word was once an animal | Ghent (be) | GIF - Ghent International Festival/Kunstencentrum Vooruit |
| 21.10.2021 | Every word was once an animal | Kortrijk (be) | Schouwburg Kortrijk |
| 15.10.2021 | Every word was once an animal | Utrecht (nl) | Stadsschouwburg Utrecht |
| 14.10.2021 | Every word was once an animal | Torhout (be) | CC De Brouckere |
| 13.10.2021 | Every word was once an animal | Berchem (be) | c o r s o |
| 12.10.2021 | Every word was once an animal | Berchem (be) | c o r s o |
| 07.10.2021 | Every word was once an animal | Amsterdam (nl) | De Brakke Grond |
| 06.10.2021 | Every word was once an animal | Amsterdam (nl) | De Brakke Grond |
| 05.10.2021 | Every word was once an animal | Amsterdam (nl) | De Brakke Grond |
| 07.10.2021 | Every word was once an animal | Amsterdam (nl) | De Brakke Grond |
| 06.10.2021 | Every word was once an animal | Amsterdam (nl) | De Brakke Grond |
| 05.10.2021 | Every word was once an animal | Amsterdam (nl) | De Brakke Grond |
| 07.10.2021 | Every word was once an animal | Amsterdam (nl) | De Brakke Grond |
| 06.10.2021 | Every word was once an animal | Amsterdam (nl) | De Brakke Grond |
| 05.10.2021 | Every word was once an animal | Amsterdam (nl) | De Brakke Grond |
| 07.10.2021 | Every word was once an animal | Amsterdam (nl) | De Brakke Grond |
| 06.10.2021 | Every word was once an animal | Amsterdam (nl) | De Brakke Grond |
| 05.10.2021 | Every word was once an animal | Amsterdam (nl) | De Brakke Grond |
| 29.08.2021 | Every word was once an animal | Ghent (be) | Bijloke Wonderland |
| 28.08.2021 | Every word was once an animal | Ghent (be) | Bijloke Wonderland |
| 27.08.2021 | Every word was once an animal | Ghent (be) | Bijloke Wonderland |
| 26.08.2021 | Every word was once an animal | Ghent (be) | Bijloke Wonderland |
| 25.08.2021 | Every word was once an animal | Ghent (be) | Bijloke Wonderland |
| 07.04.2021 | Every word was once an animal (CANCELLED - Covid-19) | Waregem (be) | CC De Schakel |
| 15.12.2020 | Every word was once an animal (CANCELLED - Covid-19) | Torhout (be) | CC De Brouckere |
| 11.12.2020 | Every word was once an animal (CANCELLED - Covid-19) | Ostend (be) | CC De Grote Post |
| 10.12.2020 | Every word was once an animal (CANCELLED - Covid-19) | Berchem (be) | c o r s o |
| 09.12.2020 | Every word was once an animal (CANCELLED - Covid-19) | Berchem (be) | c o r s o |
| 04.12.2020 | Every word was once an animal (CANCELLED - Covid-19) | Waregem (be) | CC De Schakel |
| 01.12.2020 | Every word was once an animal (CANCELLED - Covid-19) | Sint-Niklaas (be) | CC Stadsschouwburg Sint-Niklaas |
| 10.10.2020 | Every word was once an animal (Premiere - CANCELLED) | Bordeaux (fr) | Le FAB / Glob Théâtre |
| 09.10.2020 | Every word was once an animal (Premiere - CANCELLED) | Bordeaux (fr) | Le FAB / Glob Théâtre |
| 10.10.2020 | Every word was once an animal (Premiere - CANCELLED) | Bordeaux (fr) | Le FAB / Glob Théâtre |
| 09.10.2020 | Every word was once an animal (Premiere - CANCELLED) | Bordeaux (fr) | Le FAB / Glob Théâtre |
| 08.06.2020 | Every word was once an animal (CANCELLED - Covid-19) | Utrecht (nl) | Stadsschouwburg Utrecht |
| 04.06.2020 | Every word was once an animal (CANCELLED - Covid-19) | Rotterdam (nl) | Theater Rotterdam |
| 28.04.2020 | Every word was once an animal (CANCELLED - Covid-19) | Berchem (be) | c o r s o |
| 23.04.2020 | Every word was once an animal (CANCELLED - Covid-19) | Kortrijk (be) | Schouwburg Kortrijk |
| 16.04.2020 | Every word was once an animal (CANCELLED - Covid-19) | Roeselare (be) | CC De Spil |
| 14.04.2020 | Every word was once an animal (CANCELLED - Covid-19) | Leuven (be) | 30 CC |
| 10.04.2020 | Every word was once an animal (CANCELLED - Covid-19) | Amsterdam (nl) | De Brakke Grond |
| 09.04.2020 | Every word was once an animal (CANCELLED - Covid-19) | Amsterdam (nl) | De Brakke Grond |
| 08.04.2020 | Every word was once an animal (CANCELLED - Covid-19) | Amsterdam (nl) | De Brakke Grond |
| 04.04.2020 | Every word was once an animal (CANCELLED - Covid-19) | Ghent (be) | VIERNULVIER/Vooruit |
| 03.04.2020 | Every word was once an animal (CANCELLED - Covid-19) | Ghent (be) | VIERNULVIER/Vooruit |
| 02.04.2020 | Every word was once an animal (CANCELLED - Covid-19) | Ghent (be) | VIERNULVIER/Vooruit |
| 01.04.2020 | Every word was once an animal (PREMIERE - CANCELLED-Covid-19) | Ghent (be) | VIERNULVIER/Vooruit |