Carcer Voluntarius
March 2026
BECAUSE ANIMALS ARE JUST LIKE PEOPLE
About the fox Reynard
Carcer Voluntarius and de Reynaertghesellen play with Willem die Madocke maecte.
From now on, no more meat!
That is what the new lion king proclaims.
The audience gathers around the relieved animal kingdom.
The wolf, the bear, the cat, the dog, the ram, the hare, the chicken.
We merge into a brave new world.
Laughter is allowed.
But.
The forces of youth and old age are in conflict.
For power. For attention.
The young humanity within the animals is under attack.
What about ingrained greed and the lust for power?
What about the animals from the margins?
The women? The little ones?
The prey?
The fox doesn’t care about any of that.
He steals, rapes, and murders. Just as he has always done.
Now he will have to defend himself.
His tongue divides.
With: Dirk De Deken, Pieter-Jan De Knijf, Juul Devillé, Victor Devillé, Willemijn Devillé, Axel Moens, Patrick Nackaerts, Sara Petit, Tom Vanquaethem, Raya Vanbrabant
Direction, adaptation, scenography: Jerry Olbrechts
Assistant direction: Lie Hellemans, Els Bouwen
Technical and lighting: Wouter Devos
Production: Klaar Devillé, Frie Huybreghs
Set and props: Peter Ariën
SUBTITLING IN ENGLISH AND DUTCH
8, 9, 12, 15, 16 May 2026 – 8:00 PM
10 May 2026 – 3:00 PM
At Ons Huis – Goudsbloemstraat 24C, 3000 Leuven
€15 / €14 / €8
ONLINE RESERVATION
or 0496 72 95 38 (Wednesday 8–9 PM)
July 2025
Plans for 2025–2026
Willighe Vanckenis is heading into a busy season.
This November, we will be reviving our production Creditor(s) in a series of living room performances. We are looking forward to it!
Our new production is once again a collaboration with another theatre group. Together with the Leuven-based Reynaertghesellen, we will be staging our own version of the medieval animal fable Van den vos Reynaerde, starting on 8 May. For our friends at Reynaertghesellen, it is an extra festive occasion: they’re celebrating their 75th anniversary! Congratulations!
CREDITOR(S) wins the Euripides Prize in Leuven
At the end of each theatre season, an experienced jury selects the finest amateur production in Leuven. This year, they saw 29 performances, and our Creditor(s) was awarded the Euripides Prize. The city added to the honour with a prize of €1000. Grateful and humbled, we listened to the jury’s report:
"Creditor(s) by August Strindberg offers a powerful plot; betrayal and revenge turn the story into a
grim, bitter tragedy.
The director, who also performs in the piece, has a keen sense for the complex relationships between
the characters. His acting is more than remarkable, and he draws his fellow performers into his
intensity. Creditor(s) is an impressive demonstration of acting and directing talent that is entirely
convincing.
The three actors exude passion and craftsmanship in a brilliant interpretation of the text. It lives in
every fibre of their being. Through their delivery and performance, with expressive eyes, strong facial
expressions, and powerful voices, they captivate the audience, holding them in utter admiration. The
line between fiction and reality blurs.
The storytelling is beautifully executed, full of nuance. Their performances are authentic, intense,
impeccably timed, and technically flawless. Diction, intonation, gaze, body language – everything is
spot on. No stumbles, no weak moments. A masterful performance.
A palpable tension hangs in the air, with emotions deeply felt. At times quiet and intense, at others
bursting forth – raw and real. The characters provoke one another, they talk, shout, weep, fight... and
they do it all among the audience, who are seated right there in the room with them. That closeness
is a strength. Through the actors’ powerful immersion, completely believable emotions, and sustained
performance, every barrier vanishes. The audience is not merely watching – they are part of it, which
creates a profound sense of engagement.
The actors and audience are literally enclosed in a circle of mirrors, reflecting the claustrophobic
nature of the situation. It becomes a watching and being watched, a mise en abyme squared, with
reflections bouncing between the mirrors and the eyes of fellow spectators. It’s a stifling experience,
allowing one to truly feel the suffocating dynamics between the characters.
The music evokes just the right emotional tone. The lighting sets the atmosphere. The candlelight at
the end reveals the sorrow and inner turmoil within the characters’ dark souls.
This is a production of pure class, one that deeply moves its audience. A rare and gripping interplay of
direction, acting, design and technique. Grand theatre – and well worthy of your applause."
March 2025
Carcer Voluntarius plays with August Strindberg
CREDITOR(S)
An intimate tragicomedy about expression and relationships
How is sustainable love and commitment possible when we are primarily searching for the expression of our identity, through art, sex, and with each other?
Strindberg explored this question in 1888, and we are translating his quest to 2025.
The audience is literally right in the action, breathing along with the actors.
Story
At a coastal hotel, painter Tekla is waiting for Adolph, her gender-fluid husband.
He wrote a bestseller about the divorce from his previous partner and outshines her in inspiration and success.
She meets art connoisseur Gustav, who shakes up her view of her marriage.
When Adolph returns from a charity trip, a dizzying storm of emotions erupts.
Cast
Frans Dumortier (Gustav)
Lie Hellemans (Tekla)
Jerry Olbrechts (Adolph)
Artistic Team
Jerry Olbrechts (direction, text adaptation, set design, and costumes)
Els Bouwen and Fred Van Put (assistant direction)
Peter Ariën (set and lighting)
Performances
May 22, 23, 24, 25, 28, 29, 30, 31 2024 - 8 PM At SALCO, Geldenaaksebaan 277, 3001 Heverlee (google maps)€10 / €5 / €2
As this is a very intimate production in Dutch, there will be NO SURTITLING IN ENGLISH.
Information and reservations
- Online Reservations
- By phone: 0498 04 83 94