revue regret

‘Dear Doubts‘

We are happy that you have found us.

Here you’ll find information about us and our recently premiered show ‘Dear Doubts‘.

If there are any questions or answers you’d like us to address, please send an email to RevueRegret@gmail.com

‘dear doubts’

‘Dear Doubts’ is a new creation from Swedish/German company Revue Regret. The duo consists of Jakob Jacobsson & Lisa Chudalla, who are working together since 2017. The creation started in 2019 premiered in Recklinghausen (DE) during the Ruhrfestspiele on the first of june 2021.

The 1-hour show is a contemporary circus piece revolving around regrets and how we relate to the consequences of our actions.

In the show a stroboscope-lit cyr wheel becomes a metaphor for memories playing over and over in our heads, and time disolving around events we wish we would have done differently.

A body suspended in the air by the vertical rope asks us ‘who are we without our regrets?’. Floating in the almost pitch darkness of the theatre, seemingly without a right way up or a clear path, a tableau for exhaustion and the extents to which we are willing to go before we let go of something.

Ultimately, a taxidermy fox asks you ‘what do you you regret?’ and allows you to (anonymously) add your regrets to the ever growing collection of regrets that is the scenography of the show.

Deciding for something always means to decide against something else. Daily and in all circumstances we can draw from a seemingly infinite pool of possibilities. And the decision we take will leave an everlasting trace in all of us.

‘Dear Doubts’ is the letter we write to our past self from a point in time where we can evaluate the rightfulness of our previous decisions.

material

‘Life can only be understood backwards; but it must be lived forwards.’

(Sören Kierkegaard)

The show is built on a sparse aesthetic heavily inspired by film noir lighting, where what’s visible is as important as what isn’t. Certain scenes rely heavily on stroboscope lighting and the fragmented effect it has on movement, forcing the viewers imagination to fill in the blank spaces.

The only spoken material in the show is delivered by a taxidermy fox, whose pre-recorded voice will be delivered in whatever language is suits the audience. This makes the show as universal as it is to have regrets.

Besides aerial rope and cyr wheel, the show also incldues sword swallowing. Presented as a choreographical tool rather than a side show shock trick, the sword swallow is the culmination to a movement duet about who is really to blame for your regrets.

As a permanent tally mark for each show, each loop in time, a line of ink is tattooed under the skin of the performer, as the ultimate metaphor for regret and infinity, letting every single show visibly change the performer(‘s body) forever. Acting as a drastic example of how some experiences stay with us until the rest of our lives.

Audience Experience

During the course of the show the stage fills up more and more with sheets of paper.

Each holds one memory of a moment of regret.

In the end of the piece the audience gets kindly approached to reflect and think about the things they regret. Under each chair they will find pen and paper. 

Through their personal notes each viewer’s regret becomes part of our piece. We are releasing our audience at the end of the piece at a point in their thought process, where they begin to reflect on things that normally get repressed. 

We don't want to give advice on how to live a life without regrets. Neither will be able to take their regrets off them. But we want to offer to share the load. 

A safe space where they feel both confronted and comfortable enough to reflect their own regrets and life choices.

Are you interested?

We are now looking for festivals and theatres to play during 2021/2022. We are especially interested in venues who favour visually strong and thematically stirring pieces, therefore less traditional spaces like art venues or cathedrals are also of interest.

We are also interested in getting in touch with touring agents and producers who would like to take on an internationally tourable, highly mobile show.

If you are interested, or simply curious, send us an email at revueregret@gmail.com

The show requirements are as follows:

Duration: 60 minutes.
Language: the text in the show is prerecorded and language is chosen depending on audience/coutry.
Recommended audience: 10+

Location: Indoor, small to medium stage.

Disciplines: Cyr wheel, aerial rope, sword swallowing, movement.

Dimensions performance area: 8m wide, 6m deep and 7m high.

Rigging: Rigging point for aerial rope (WLL 400kg).

A complete technical rider can be sent, if interested, send an email to revueregret@gmail.com.

Support and creation

The show is created and performed by Jakob Jacobsson & Lisa Chudalla, with outside feedback from Gerindo Kartadinata, production assistance from Susanne Pywonka & Dynamo Workspace and light design by Kenneth Danielsen and choreographic assistance from Yolande Sommer.

The show received support from the German residency network Zirkus On as well as support by Fonds Darstellende Künste with funds from the Federal Government Commissioner for Culture and the Media.

We are looking forward to bringing this show to festivals and theatres in 2021.

Photo by Bernadette Fink, Tina Peissker, Emma Staffansdotter Langmoen, Jara Reker