All Rise! (2016)

A translator in a fictional multilingual parliament is tempted by a politician to make a translation error. The consequences of this mistake turn out to be far less innocent than expected, and the situation spirals completely out of control. Personal and political agendas become intertwined, ultimately leading to a total dystopia. To salvage the situation, the translator eventually takes the floor themselves—with all the consequences that entails.

In our current era, political debate seems to be nothing more than a collection of one-liners and statements, riding the wave of a collective sense of unease. Many political leaders (with some exceptions) increasingly behave like divas, navigating a grand game of intrigue and power—despite being democratically elected to lead the people. Television and online media fuel hostility between politicians and citizens alike, turning spectacle into a more dominant force than actual substance.

Inspired by this development, we quickly arrived at the following question: What does great power do to people, and are they truly capable of handling it? This question, alongside love and death, has been a major theme in many operas. That is why we deliberately want to harness the power and emotion of opera to make people aware of this issue.

For more information, go to the dedicated website by Stichting Wervelwind Theater.