When the goddess Venus descends to the messy world below, she only has eyes for one person: Adonis. Surely she can win him over? Venus is the perfect woman: intelligent, powerful, accomplished. She's a goddess after all, there is literally nothing more she could do to make herself more lovable. So why is Adonis, with his complete lack of ambition, so uninterested in her love?
Back in 1593, Shakespeare was already writing with remarkable insight about something that still feels painfully familiar today. Venus & Adonis is not a romantic love story, but a sharp examination of everything we mistake for love: desire, possessiveness, jealousy, pride, rejection… We witness an all-too-familiar clash between someone who is more than ready for love and someone who shuts themselves off from it. Will Venus come to realise that what she's looking for might not be love at all?
Credits
Director: Agnes Laura Kumpina
Inspired by Venus & Adonis by William Shakespeare
Translation: Peter Verstegen, published by Van Oorschot
Adaptation: Maaike Bergstra
Actors: Shauni Goetz, Roman Derwig
Dramaturgy: Maaike Bergstra, Yara Korver
Costume Design: Sarah Nixon
Scenography: Yannick Verweij
Composition & Sound Design: Thijs van Vuure
Lighting Design: Casper Leemhuis
Hair and Makeup Consultant: Michelle de Hoog
Set builder and technician: Adriaan Beukema
Tour technician: Tim Kockx
Production management: Jessie Verburgh, Petra Swagers
Stage photography (close-ups): Sanne Peper
Stage photography (overview): Yannick Verweij
