Lodewijk

An absurd, intimate and confrontational ritual

In her new solo performance, theatre maker Sofie Kramer tells the bizarre story of a woman who suddenly comes face to face with a baby in spirits. The baby is named Lodewijk, has been sleeping for fifty years in a glass coffee pot, and forms the starting point of an hypnotic journey through memory, shame and desire.

What follows is a black comedy of words in which the woman, face to face with Lodewijk, confronts a deeply hidden secret: twelve years ago she silently underwent an abortion. Now she wants that secret to come out. With Lodewijk as a silent foil, she breaks through her shame, searching for what it means to give and let go of life.

Lodewijk is a intoxicating blend of text, music and visual art. A theatrical confession and a visual farewell ritual where life and death dance a tender duet. From a hyper-personal perspective, Kramer poses sharp questions about grief, birth, sexuality and the absurd side of existence. What kind of world puts babies into coffee pots? And: Lodewijk, am I now your mother?

With raw vulnerability, fiery honesty and a dark sense of humour, Sofie Kramer challenges taboos. Lodewijk is an exercise in letting go, a ritual that pricks, touches and endures.

Trigger warning: this performance contains explicit themes such as abortion, sexuality, death and a fetus in spirits. Nudity will be included.