About Elly

“I believe that the similarities among the human beings on this earth and its various lands, and among its cultures and its faiths, far outweigh their differences.” (Asghar Farhadi) Following on from A Separation (2020), tg STAN makes another foray into the oeuvre of the Iranian filmmaker Asghar Farhadi, this time with what film enthusiasts regard as his best film: About Elly. In the spring of 2023 tg STAN will be working on a play of the same name with a group of eleven actors, in which different generations and nationalities are represented – Iraqis, Iranians, Dutch, Belgians, and Afghans. The play explores doubt, friendship, honour and betrayal. The story unfolds beside the Caspian Sea, where a group of friends is spending a weekend with their children. Among the guests are Elly, the teacher of Sepideh’s young child, and the recently divorced Ahmad, who has only been back from Germany for a few days. Sepideh tries to pair them off. The atmosphere is exuberant. There are lively discussions, they eat, sing, laugh and dance… Until Elly suddenly disappears and the mood takes a turn. We witness an exhaustive search into which is woven a web of lies and half-truths. And then, out of the blue, Elly’s fiancé turns up… We see a group of people wrestling with their morals as the carefree makes way for drama. The solidarity crumbles and individual interests come to the fore. Will one individual dare to betray another if that is the way to protect the group? Which truth is true and for whom? And is the truth really so relevant? Or can a lie be their salvation?
by and with
Kes Bakker, Robby Cleiren, Jolente De Keersmaeker, Lukas De Wolf, Anna Franziska Jäger, Manizja Kouhestani, Armin Mola, Mokhallad Rasem, Haider Al Timimi, Scarlet Tummers and Stijn Van Opstal concept
olente De Keersmaeker and Scarlet Tummers decor
Joé Agemans, Damiaan De Schrijver and Stijn Van Opstal light
Luc Schaltin costumes
Fauve Ryckebusch production
tg STAN in coproduction with Toneelhuis, de Roovers, Theater Antigone and Het Laatste Bedrijf with the support of
Gallop Tax Shelter

Cast

  • Stijn Van Opstal
  • Robby Cleiren
  • Scarlet Tummers
  • Jolente De Keersmaeker
  • Haider Al Timimi

Calendar

09.03.23 – 20:00 – Toneelhuis, Antwerpen (première) TICKETS

10.03.23 – 20:00 – Toneelhuis, Antwerpen TICKETS

11.03.23 – 20:00 – Toneelhuis, Antwerpen TICKETS

12.03.23 – 15:00 – Toneelhuis, Antwerpen TICKETS

14.03.23 – 20:00 – Toneelhuis, Antwerpen TICKETS

15.03.23 – 20:00 – Toneelhuis, Antwerpen TICKETS

17.03.23 – 20:15 – Theater Antigone, Kortrijk TICKETS

18.03.23 – 20:30 – ARSENAAL/LAZARUS, Mechelen TICKETS

22.03.23 – 20:00 – NTGent TICKETS

23.03.23 – 20:00 – NTGent TICKETS

24.03.23 – 20:15 – CC Het Perron, Ieper TICKETS

25.03.23 – 20:15 –  C-mine, Genk TICKETS

26.03.23 – 20:00 – CC Knokke-Heist TICKETS

29.03.23 – 20:15 – De Warande, Turnhout TICKETS

30.03.23 –  20:00 – CC Het Gasthuis, Aarschot TICKETS

31.03.23 – 20:00 – CC Schoten TICKETS

01.04.23 – 20:00 – CC De Plomblom, Ninove TICKETS

05.04.23 – 20:00 – De Brakke Grond, Amsterdam, NL TICKETS

07.04.23 20:15 – Theater Rotterdam, NL TICKETS

12.04.23 20:15 – SPOT, Groningen, NL TICKETS

16.04.23 20:00 – 30CC, Leuven TICKETS

18.04.23 20:00 – CC Sint-Niklaas TICKETS

19.04.23 20:00 – CC De Werf, Aalst TICKETS

20.04.23 20:30 – CC Diest  TICKETS

21.04.23 20:30 – CC Strombeek  TICKETS

22.04.23 20:30 – CC Strombeek  TICKETS

25.04.23 20:00 – CC Brugge TICKETS

27.04.23 20:00 – Cultuurcentrum de Brouckere, Torhout TICKETS

28.04.23 – CC Kapellen

29.04.23 – De Velinx, Tongeren