Review on "Phobia" by Club Guy & Roni

Strong message made a huge impact, 

and left the audience in awe

The second of December «Phobia» was shown in Stadschaumburg theatre in Arnhem. Choreographer Guy Weizman and Roni Haver from «Club Guy and Roni» challenged ten dancers from the club and EN-KNAP to face their own phobias and fears on stage. In the piece you get to meet these individuals in stressed situations while following the development of a life threatening event. 

Alongside musicians from Slagwerk Den Haag, literally playing on bones, the choreographers use strong texts rewritten by Bas Heijne and Martijn Rijk to create the ominous atmosphere the piece is swept in. The mixture of theatre and highly trained physical exploration makes the intention of the choreographers quite clear within all the different peeks of different people´s lives we are shown. 

The impact of «Phobia» is overwhelming, challenging, chaotic, painful, numbing and much more. The stage is constantly changing. Different stories with both new and repetitive impulses are being thrown in our faces as we are drawn into the stressed atmosphere. The overload of information forced me, as an audience, to stay alert throughout the whole piece. While struggling to take it all in, I still was left with the feeling of an impossibility. There was no way I was going to catch it all. 

The main event of Phobia is set in an extraordinary situation in an ordinary setting. The dancers, put in everyday clothes, are being faced with whispers of a suicide bomber. An egg is being passed nervously around, and grabs both the dancers and the audience´s attention. What will happens when the egg drops? 

Continually, the dancers are working on the edge of what seems morally tolerable. As an audience, I found myself many times on the edge of my seat, ready to stand up and try to stop what was happening on stage. Cleverly, the dancers involve the audience a few times during the performance, deliberately distracting them, or asking them direct questions. The performance is very much in dialogue with the audience, and forced me to reflect further than what may feel comfortable. We were made to feel responsible for the poor people on stage put in humiliating and even dangerous situations. So when asked a question from stage, when is it time to say no? 

Putting «Phobia» in a theatre only two weeks after the bombing in Paris is a bold move, which i applaud. The impact on the dancers and the audience in this time gave the piece new feet and a whole new reality for many of the people in the space that evening. 

So, if you dear, I´d definitely recommend you to see "phobia" next time they're in the theatre. Not only do you get to see amazing dancers on stage, you'll also be challenged with an important theme that, at least for me, made a big impact. 

- Malene

Trailer:

Credits:

Choreografie: Guy Weizman en Roni Haver 

Composer: Hugo Morales en Pepe Garcia 

Musical direction: Fedor Teunisse 

Text / dramaturgie: Martijn de Rijk en Bas Heijne 

Dancer and acter: Camilo Chapela, Angela Herenda, Dunja Jocic, Veerle van Overloop, Adam Peterson, Luke Thomas Dunne, Ana Štefanec, Tamás Tuza, Ida Hellsten, Bence Mezei, Nik Rajšek 

Musicians: Pepe Garcia, Niels Meliefste, Enric Monfort 

Light: Wil Frikken | Geluid: Martin J.A. Lambeek 

Decor advies: Ascon de Nijs 

Costume: Slavna Martinovic 

Co-producers: Club Guy & Roni i.s.m. EN-KNAP en Slagwerk Den Haag.