The world is evolving in a fast way. Internet and multimedia are everywhere in our daily life. In the same way theatre performances become much more than just theatre. It is increasingly interdisciplinary. 4Hoog is a qualitative production company for spectators from the age of 3, with a special focus on toddlers. 4Hoog has always searched to make productions with  interdisciplinary exchange in a leading role. KEIK, WOESJ and WANIKAN, three performances by 4Hoog are good examples. They each take bits and pieces from different genres and styles, and move across art disciplines to create something new. They integrate various disciplines and at the same time manage to stay true to theatre, touching the audience, young and old.

KEIK (3+)

Tracking down the bird

Through the pouring rain,

Victim of the wind,

Searching for a tree

For a nestless egg

Behind the field

Of melting snow.

We see all at once.

KEIK !

 

KEIK is a musical journey into the four seasons. A big screen and two pianos on the scene. Image and music. A tango in the woods, a storm of birds, a giant pianist and an egg! Live piano music leads us to a magical world. A world in front and behind the curtain. Easy on the eye and the ear. KEIK is a nonverbal performance for young and old.

KEIK uses a screen as decor. The screen is used in multi facets. In one moment it is used for a shadow play, later on prerecorded material in the woods is being used as well as self-created digital material. The actors merge in the screen, to appear later on scene again. The scene comes to live, as it were. In this way theater becomes more. Most children are quite familiar with screens and digital images. This world of images is combined with the real life performance of 4 actors/musicians. The line between what is real life acting and what is ‘not real’ is thin. For toddlers around the age of 3 the difference between ‘real’ and unreal is not always easy to tell. In this way the performance connects very well with the world of toddlers. KEIK crosses the art disciplines, music, theater, dance, multimedia and shadow play. The interdisciplinarity of the performance makes it a fully fledged experience for the audience.

WOESJ (3+)

Two opera-singers float in a musical world

full of notes, choirs and spheres.

Everything you see sounds.

Everything is music.

Even the tides, ebb and flood.

 

WOESJ is an opera for toddlers, in which two nymphs and the sea are central. In this production music, opera and theatre are combined. A theatre as well as an opera. An opera as well as theatre! If adult’s can enjoy opera, toddlers can as well.  With Woesj 4Hoog wants to give qualitative and multifaced theatre, that even the smallest enjoy.  Just as adults are touched by music and play, children and even toddlers can be touched by music and beauty. This performance is brought for an audience from the age of 3. Frans Van der Aa, artistic director from 4Hoog puts the goal as the following:  “Everyone has the right to have beauty and to be moved. The younger you start the richer your life gets.” Thinking across genre and styles enhances the experience and joy for the audience.

WANIKAN (3+)

In the beginning there was nothing.

Just a bit of clutter.

Then suddenly out of nothing came

everything. Everything starts to live.

Everything gets a life.

A boy.

And a girl.

She takes him into a dream.

A dream with sweaters.

Where they love to hide.

Director Jelle Marteel chose consequently for sobriety and quietness. The actors take you along in a suggestive dancing play concerning meeting and parting. One image slides poetically and humorous into the next. Pure simplicity with an alternation of a high slapstick tempo and slow abstract dancing. Wanikan combines acting, with dancing and music from Chopin with comedy and poetry!