The Wagging Finger - 10+
Sensible theatre for clever children
The Wagging Finger lifts its finger, without knowing what it's pointing at. For who decides what's good and what's not?
Nominations
The Wagging Finger has four nominations, for the TF1 (the best Dutch performances of season 2007 2008), the Belgium Theatre Festival (the best performances of season 2007 2008), the Golden Cricket 2008 (for best youth theatre performance) and the Mimeprice 2008 (best mimeperformance).
Press quotes
"Regisseur Jetse Batelaan hat all das so komisch wie grausam inszeniert, lässt das Ensemble aber auch sensible Zwischentönen in die konfrontativen Bösartigkeiten streuen. Für Erwachsene ist diese Mischung geradezu unwiderstehlich. (…) Die jungen Gäste amüsieren sich meistens, bleiben aber skeptisch und fühlen sich keineswegs geschmeichelt, wenn ihnen suggeriert wird, die Erwachsenen seien viel kindischer als sie" Nachtkritik.de, Germany
"Riesenbeifall" Braunschweiger Zeitung, Germany
"The Wagging Finger is amongst other things about vandalism, kissing parents and neglected children. Who as a result is tended not to go, misses one of the most enjoyable performances of the year. Jetse Batelaan also directed 'Performance in which hopefully nothing happens' at theatergroep Max., with which he won the Golden Cricket 2005. The Wagging Finger is possibly even better and moreover appropriate for young and old." Volkskrant, Netherlands
"Showing most sincere how absurd reality is. It is an art that director Jetse Batelaan understands very well at theatergroep Max. Extraordinary good, because a performance like The Wagging Finger is exceptional. (...) Batelaan, who previously directed 'Performance in which hopefully nothing happens' at theatergroep Max., offers everyone of 10 years and older an hilarious insight on authority and prohibition. With minimal manners, on the junction of realism and imagination." NRC Handelsblad, Netherlands
Jury reports
"Director Jetse Batelaan and actors succeeded in revaluating the moral values debate in a wayward way: refreshingly absurd, rebellious, provocative and highly intelligent." Golden Cricket 2008
"The actors convincinly pull out all the stops. They do so with lots of humour: it's brilliant. The Wagging Finger is extraordinarily well thought through. It's a great experience for kids as well as a hilarious one for adults." Theater Festival 2008
"A very intelligent performance, deeply ironical, which stays one step ahead of the audience all the time." Theater Festival Flanders 2008
Cast & creatives
Concept, direction: Jetse Batelaan
Performance: Marien Jongewaard, Tjebbe Roelofs, Bianca van der Schoot, Willemijn Zevenhuijzen
Set design: Hester Jolink
Costume design: Marike Kamphuis
Lighting design: Gé Wegman
Première: 10 February 2008
Reprise tour: February – April 2011
Age: 10 years and up
International tour
30 November 2008 Center for Cultural Decontamination, Belgrado (Servië) part of the project A rough guide to Belgrado (De Balie, Amsterdam)
8-11 June 2010 THEATERFORMEN Braunschweig (Germany)
2011 Perm (Russia): a Russian production of The Wagging Finger, directed by Jetse Batelaan
2012 Düsseldorf (Germany): a German production of The Wagging Finger, directed by Daniel Cremer
The Wagging Finger lifts its finger, without knowing what it's pointing at. For who decides what's good and what's not?
Nominations
The Wagging Finger has four nominations, for the TF1 (the best Dutch performances of season 2007 2008), the Belgium Theatre Festival (the best performances of season 2007 2008), the Golden Cricket 2008 (for best youth theatre performance) and the Mimeprice 2008 (best mimeperformance).
Press quotes
"Regisseur Jetse Batelaan hat all das so komisch wie grausam inszeniert, lässt das Ensemble aber auch sensible Zwischentönen in die konfrontativen Bösartigkeiten streuen. Für Erwachsene ist diese Mischung geradezu unwiderstehlich. (…) Die jungen Gäste amüsieren sich meistens, bleiben aber skeptisch und fühlen sich keineswegs geschmeichelt, wenn ihnen suggeriert wird, die Erwachsenen seien viel kindischer als sie" Nachtkritik.de, Germany
"Riesenbeifall" Braunschweiger Zeitung, Germany
"The Wagging Finger is amongst other things about vandalism, kissing parents and neglected children. Who as a result is tended not to go, misses one of the most enjoyable performances of the year. Jetse Batelaan also directed 'Performance in which hopefully nothing happens' at theatergroep Max., with which he won the Golden Cricket 2005. The Wagging Finger is possibly even better and moreover appropriate for young and old." Volkskrant, Netherlands
"Showing most sincere how absurd reality is. It is an art that director Jetse Batelaan understands very well at theatergroep Max. Extraordinary good, because a performance like The Wagging Finger is exceptional. (...) Batelaan, who previously directed 'Performance in which hopefully nothing happens' at theatergroep Max., offers everyone of 10 years and older an hilarious insight on authority and prohibition. With minimal manners, on the junction of realism and imagination." NRC Handelsblad, Netherlands
Jury reports
"Director Jetse Batelaan and actors succeeded in revaluating the moral values debate in a wayward way: refreshingly absurd, rebellious, provocative and highly intelligent." Golden Cricket 2008
"The actors convincinly pull out all the stops. They do so with lots of humour: it's brilliant. The Wagging Finger is extraordinarily well thought through. It's a great experience for kids as well as a hilarious one for adults." Theater Festival 2008
"A very intelligent performance, deeply ironical, which stays one step ahead of the audience all the time." Theater Festival Flanders 2008
Cast & creatives
Concept, direction: Jetse Batelaan
Performance: Marien Jongewaard, Tjebbe Roelofs, Bianca van der Schoot, Willemijn Zevenhuijzen
Set design: Hester Jolink
Costume design: Marike Kamphuis
Lighting design: Gé Wegman
Première: 10 February 2008
Reprise tour: February – April 2011
Age: 10 years and up
International tour
30 November 2008 Center for Cultural Decontamination, Belgrado (Servië) part of the project A rough guide to Belgrado (De Balie, Amsterdam)
8-11 June 2010 THEATERFORMEN Braunschweig (Germany)
2011 Perm (Russia): a Russian production of The Wagging Finger, directed by Jetse Batelaan
2012 Düsseldorf (Germany): a German production of The Wagging Finger, directed by Daniel Cremer
