PEPTalks
In the Summer of 2011, Yo! Opera created the show PEPTalks, to be stages at theatre festival De Parade. The show was inspired by the internet phenomenon TEDTalks. Women spoke about a certain change they had brought about in their environment. While these women – from all sections of the population - told their stories, they were supported by a sixteen-headed women's choir. They talked about how they had taken the initiative to make a change to society. Their stories invite you to travel the world singing, and to lovingly shake things up.
Using an arrangement of Pergolesi's famous Stabat Mater for women's choir as a basis, the choir created an inspirational background for the stories of the female story tellers. Adding a subtle sense of drama, the performance culminated in a climax in which the sixteen singing women played the main part and made personal eye contact with each member of the audience.
Using exclusively women's singing and talking voices, PEPTalks also offered a powerful and certainly different view on contemporary society. By the constant shift in speakers and its vulnerable atmosphere, no scene was like any other and the performance was at all times exciting.
The PEPTalks choir consisted of singers of various musical backgrounds who had been brought together especially for the occasion. In the course of that Summer, they developed into a very powerful group of singers, many of whom sang in such a choir for the very first time in their lives.
Most of the performances were sold out and the reactions were very diverse: people either loved it, or thought it was a failure. PEPTalks was nominated for De Mus, an award presented by De Parade annually for the most promising show.
Concept & Director: Anthony Heidweiller, Abel Nienhuis
Singers: Alexa Hakkenbrak, Alice Rientjes, Angelique Hoogstrate, Anna Swinkels, Claar Schouwenaar, Heleen van Kalisvaart, Inge den Haan, Jannelieke Schmidt, Jeannie Charlene, Joniet Mokasay, Jurrit de Bode, Maaike Bakker, Margriet van Duijvenbode, Marianne Kloeze, Marieke Braaksma, marijke Nuchelmans, Marloes Kouwenberg, Merlijn Runia, Mirthe Bron, Myrtle van der Wel, Nadine de Boer, Nike van Essen, Oukje den Hollander, Pauline ten Böhmer, Renske Olieman, Runak Sharaf, Sara Leemans, Sarah Sötemann, Simone Bekkering, Stefanie Janssen, Susanne Roos, Suuske Popma, Vera de Bree, Vera Kaye, Wynn Elisa, Yvonne van de Eerenbeemt
Storytellers
Ebru Umar: columnist and writer
Merel Westermann: undertaker
Els van der Linden: the only female garbage collector in Amsterdam in the past twenty years
Metje Blaak: founder of "De Rode Draad", a trade union for prostitutes
Sandra van Kampen: programme manager at Stichting Urgenda
Gusta Lebbink: interim department manager M&R at the municipality of Aalsmeer
Fronnie Biesma: founder and director of De Vrolijkheid
René Bom: presenter, bar tender, night mayor of The Hague
Margreet Melman: initiator of Fort van de Verbeelding
Loes van Schaijk: founder of Kunst en Vliegwerk
Peggy Olislaegers: director of the Nederlandse Dansdagen
Nancy Jouwe: programme director at Kosmopolis in Utrecht
Caroline Bijlsma: photographer and documentary maker
Donatella Civile: actrice, theatre maker
Soula Notos: comedian, actrice and presenter
Esther-Clair Sasabone: radio and theatre maker
Using an arrangement of Pergolesi's famous Stabat Mater for women's choir as a basis, the choir created an inspirational background for the stories of the female story tellers. Adding a subtle sense of drama, the performance culminated in a climax in which the sixteen singing women played the main part and made personal eye contact with each member of the audience.
Using exclusively women's singing and talking voices, PEPTalks also offered a powerful and certainly different view on contemporary society. By the constant shift in speakers and its vulnerable atmosphere, no scene was like any other and the performance was at all times exciting.
The PEPTalks choir consisted of singers of various musical backgrounds who had been brought together especially for the occasion. In the course of that Summer, they developed into a very powerful group of singers, many of whom sang in such a choir for the very first time in their lives.
Most of the performances were sold out and the reactions were very diverse: people either loved it, or thought it was a failure. PEPTalks was nominated for De Mus, an award presented by De Parade annually for the most promising show.
Concept & Director: Anthony Heidweiller, Abel Nienhuis
Singers: Alexa Hakkenbrak, Alice Rientjes, Angelique Hoogstrate, Anna Swinkels, Claar Schouwenaar, Heleen van Kalisvaart, Inge den Haan, Jannelieke Schmidt, Jeannie Charlene, Joniet Mokasay, Jurrit de Bode, Maaike Bakker, Margriet van Duijvenbode, Marianne Kloeze, Marieke Braaksma, marijke Nuchelmans, Marloes Kouwenberg, Merlijn Runia, Mirthe Bron, Myrtle van der Wel, Nadine de Boer, Nike van Essen, Oukje den Hollander, Pauline ten Böhmer, Renske Olieman, Runak Sharaf, Sara Leemans, Sarah Sötemann, Simone Bekkering, Stefanie Janssen, Susanne Roos, Suuske Popma, Vera de Bree, Vera Kaye, Wynn Elisa, Yvonne van de Eerenbeemt
Storytellers
Ebru Umar: columnist and writer
Merel Westermann: undertaker
Els van der Linden: the only female garbage collector in Amsterdam in the past twenty years
Metje Blaak: founder of "De Rode Draad", a trade union for prostitutes
Sandra van Kampen: programme manager at Stichting Urgenda
Gusta Lebbink: interim department manager M&R at the municipality of Aalsmeer
Fronnie Biesma: founder and director of De Vrolijkheid
René Bom: presenter, bar tender, night mayor of The Hague
Margreet Melman: initiator of Fort van de Verbeelding
Loes van Schaijk: founder of Kunst en Vliegwerk
Peggy Olislaegers: director of the Nederlandse Dansdagen
Nancy Jouwe: programme director at Kosmopolis in Utrecht
Caroline Bijlsma: photographer and documentary maker
Donatella Civile: actrice, theatre maker
Soula Notos: comedian, actrice and presenter
Esther-Clair Sasabone: radio and theatre maker
