The Idea to make a show together, is new to Vincent and Jyoti. It is born of Jyoti's love of early jazz and the fun they have when making music together (ukulele, accordion and vocals.) Gerard Vonck and Gertrude Vlam’s costumes have in fact been waiting in the closet for years only to be noticed! And so the search for the right songs can start straight away!
Benoit Créteur (Cie les Six Faux Nez)and Gerry Sheridan(Shelire)are asked to coach. Benoit for creating the characters and putting movement to the music. Gerry to fine-tune the characters, find the essence and add impulses to play. And to find what aspects of the music generates dramatic play to add to the structure/storyline. Their living room, turned into rehearsal space out of necessity soon turns out the appropriate place for this musical theatre experience and fulfills the wishes of the creators to find art in everyday life, away from the threshold of the theatre building.
After enthusiastic reception in the Netherlands, Belgium and Germany, the travel project ‘Love Songs In The Living’ from 's-Hertogenbosch to Istanbul is put into place. Jyoti turns into someone that can do it all! from building a website with a blog and postcard project, to productionmanager and general organiser. At the end of July 2009, After a last show for the whole neighborhood in ‘s-Hertogenbosch. Vincent, Jyoti and their three children leave for Istanbul. They explore the lesser known cultures of the new Europe during 7 weeks. The show is played (mainly) in living rooms on the route! (17 times!) Check jyoti's blogfor an impression of this inspiring journey.
In the meantime 'Lovesongs in the living has matured and has brought many people together, both entertained and moved them.
The show is musical and expressive and accessible for broad audience. Apart from the lyrics, language is hardly used. The lyrics are mainly in English but also French, Spanish and Dutch is used. The nature and energy of the characters combined with the music has made it a comical, feel good show, in which the audience is taken along through details, the direct and honest playing of the actors in the intimacy of the livingroom. It works!
