Ivo van Hove’s cinema onstage: reconstructing the creative process
(2018) Ivo van Hove Onstage — ISBN: [9781351260084], p. 249-262, published
Files
IvoVanHoveVirtuoso-3.pdf
Preprint
Open Access - Adobe PDF
- 1.78 MB
Details
- Authors
- Abstract
- This study offers a comprehensive analysis of the theatrical work of Ivo van Hove, situating his career within the broader evolution of late twentieth- and early twenty-first-century European theatre. Rather than framing his trajectory as a linear progression through distinct stylistic phases, the book identifies recurring artistic patterns and tensions that define his oeuvre: the oscillation between avant-garde experimentation and institutional recognition, the reconfiguration of text-based theatre through radical mise-en-scène, and the persistent search for emotional intensity and immediacy onstage. Drawing on performance theory and modern theatre scholarship, the study examines van Hove’s distinctive approach to acting, scenography, video integration, and directorial authorship, while emphasizing the collaborative dynamic with designer Jan Versweyveld. Through both thematic analysis and detailed reconstructions of key productions, the book argues that van Hove embodies a contemporary model of the European auteur-director—one who continually reinvents himself while pursuing a theatre of extremity, transparency, and visceral engagement. Ultimately, the study positions van Hove as a pivotal figure in the transformation of contemporary performance, navigating the porous boundaries between avant-garde innovation, mainstream acclaim, and post-dramatic aesthetics.
- Affiliations
Citations
Goriely, S. (2018). Ivo van Hove’s cinema onstage: reconstructing the creative process. In David Willinger (ed.), Ivo van Hove Onstage (p. p. 249-262). Routledge. https://doi.org/10.4324/9781351260084-3