"Het Zuidelijk Toneel and the Belgian company Abattoir Fermé bring grotesque horror to the main stage with *Byzantium*. The result is uncompromising and wildly witty theatre that repeatedly pushes the boundaries. With incredible ensemble work and hallucinatory imagery, this pitch-black makeover of a restaurant into a takeaway crematorium is a real treat.
In this horror comedy, the closure of Byzantium serves as a metaphor for a collapsing society, where extreme market-driven thinking skilfully reduces every human relationship to a transaction. Glimmers of humanity shine like beacons of light in an otherwise rancid world, such as when dishwasher John makes his beloved part of his dream to climb the ladder. Beyond that, Byzantium is a crumbling ruin, a succession of post-apocalyptic scenes that take sardonic pleasure in the decline of humanity.
The brilliant performance of the ensemble cast brings this theatre to life. Far removed from the realism that dominates the main stage, Byzantium fully embraces alienation and uncanny absurdism. The joy of acting radiates from the stage. Byzantium is full of hilarious scenes, one of the highlights being an absolute nightmare of a blind date, which is as sordid as it is apt.
The overwhelming universe, beautifully crafted both visually and aurally and brought to life by director Stef Lernous with a rock-solid ensemble, makes for one of the most rewarding theatre evenings of the past season."
