http://www.marius.be

Comp.Marius is led by the actors Waas Gramser and Kris Van Trier, whose artistic careers have been inextricably linked ever since 1991: first as part of the theatre company STAN (1991-1993), then together with Guy Cassiers and Adrienne Altenhaus as Maten (1994-1996) and later under the flag of the theatre collective De Onderneming (1997-2005). It was only with the founding of Comp.Marius in 2006 that their collaboration acquired its own independent structure.

The essential aspect of the working process is always the new, self-made interpretations and adaptations of (often less well known) classic plays from dramatic literature, such as Pagnol’s Marius, Fanny and César, Thomas Bernhard’s The Force of Habit and Samuel Beckett’s All that fall. In the course of these adaptations/interpretations, the dramaturgy is researched, the linguistic sensibilities sharpened and the mise en scène established. In addition, a striking and permanent feature of the productions is their performance on location and in the open air. Of central importance are the text and the performance; the locations serve as ‘natural scenery’; the starting point for the stage design is always the wooden, semi-circular circus seating; only a few decor elements are added and the props are minimal. The open-air performance reinforces the artistic creed of Comp.Marius, which stands for a direct, transparent, almost popular way of acting.

Comp.Marius often links its performances to other social events: the sharing of a meal or having a drink together. The actors are then permanent hosts to the audience, with organic ingredients or regional products and the tables covered with earthenware and linen tablecloths.

Comp.Marius is housed in a former factory at Hoboken in Antwerp and performs its productions both locally and internationally (the Netherlands, France, Spain, Germany). The performances are always given in the official language of the country in which the production is taking place. The focus is on the creation of projects on location and in the open air, but Comp.Marius can occasionally also be seen in the traditional theatre, for example in collaboration with Jan Decorte or the Dutch company ’t Barre Land.
Comp.Marius’ productions remain on its repertoire for years. This allows the audience to follow the career of the company and, above all, it enables the company to make a statement: it is against the habit of throwing away what is no longer new.

The artistic core of Comp.Marius consists of Waas Gramser and Kris Van Trier (actors), assisted on an ad hoc basis by Koen Schetske (set design) and Thijsje Strypens (costumes).