On the journey to nowhere – DeRonde/Deroo’s cinematic TRANSIT bravely faces the intermediary states of life

17.7.2024

TRANSIT | Photo: Joshua Walter
TRANSIT | Photo: Joshua Walter

Dutch friends Tom de Ronde and Nick Deroo may be an out-of-the-ordinary pair, as for them, the journey is everything, not the destination. The duo, more familiarly known as DeRonde/Deroo, has stopped to enjoy what is happening around them. This idea was the basis for creating the surrealistic physical theatre piece TRANSIT, which is one of the international additions to Tampere Theatre Festival’s Main Programme this year. The performance also features Amber Veltman.

“We live in Amsterdam which is a very vibrant city. There’s so much to do and see, which is amazing. But on the other hand, it also creates a restlessness. As if you’re constantly on the move to the next thing, but forget to pause in the moment and just have a look around you”, they state.

Constantly focusing on the destination is a feeling that Tom and Nick say they regret. Instead, they want to bring out the joy from everything they see and sense on their travels. Paying attention to the steps taken between departure and arrival may bring out the fun of the journey, but also its hidden beauty. That is why TRANSIT encourages the audience to fasten their seat belts, as there is no estimated time or place of arrival.

“We want to pay tribute to those moments when you feel stuck. When you’re on the metro or train, your phone dies, and there’s nothing to do or to be distracted by. If you look around, you’ll see how bizarre and funny everything around us is. We want to give the audience the feeling of being mesmerized by what happens around them”, DeRonde/Deroo says.

The duo’s advice is to always enjoy the journey, as often the arrival to the destination is quite a short moment while a lot of time has been spent on the travel itself. When watching TRANSIT, one can think of the journey as an intermediate state that may not always be steady. It may be a physical transition from one destination to another, but also a journey towards different emotional states, such as love or happiness. However, achieving the desired emotions is not always a straightforward process, so it is good to prepare for turbulence.

Wow effects created by physical means

The human body is an essential tool in DeRonde/Deroo’s art. Body coordination that pushes the limits makes this performance a showcase of physical theatre talent that leaves the audience amazed.

“We work with the (im)possibilities of our bodies. Trying to figure out how to start with something very concrete and then making it weirder, funnier and more impressive” the pair describes.

At this point, acrobatics will usually take the stage as well. The meaning of skillful acrobatics or otherwise intense scenes is to awaken some emotions in the crowd – these challenging physical achievements can be felt deep in your bones, and in a way the audience can join the physical sensation as well. In their own words, DeRonde/Deroo are going for “the ‘wow’ effect”, that leaves the audience “mesmerized, gobsmacked, and baffled”.

The two creators also share a love towards cinematic theatre. In addition to extraordinary use of the human body, their shows are likely to combine sound and light to the performance in a skillful manner. The combination of all these factors creates an end result that is a cinematic experience, looking as if the performers are editing a scene right in front of the audience’s eyes.

Towards Tampere Theatre Festival with curious minds

The duo is looking forward to their visit to Tampere. They say they’re especially curious about how the audiences will react to the show that might not meet their expectations of an ordinary theatre performance. Even though TRANSIT features impressive visuals and skillful acrobatics, DeRonde/Deroo promises that there will be a touch of humor as well. They send their greetings to Finnish theatre-goers: “You’re in for a ride. Come, have fun, be amazed and come talk to us!”

 

TRANSIT will be seen on the Hällä Stage on Saturday 10 August at 17.30 and on Sunday 11 August at 12.30. Buy tickets from Lippu.fi online shop.

The article is based on an interview with DeRonde/Deroo. Nick Deroo’s website was also used as source material.

Interview and article's original version in Finnish by Miro Leppäsalo

Translated into English by Elli Juola

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