De zaak Shell
“For how old our planet is. And how young we are.”
They attended stakeholder meetings at multinational companies, read speeches and interviews by Shell, combed through international agreements and government policy notes, and systematically wrote down the remarks of their uncles and neighbours over Christmas dinner any time the climate crisis came up.
The motive is the real lawsuit that is currently being brought against Shell by a group of NGOs. Aim of the lawsuit: to force Shell to radically change its business policies. Shell’s defence? It’s not us, but consumers who need to change ...
During the Gala of the Dutch Theatre Festival, De Zaak Shell won the 2021 award for directing and the 2021 Arlecchino. The jury wrote about the direction: “The Shell Case is both razor-sharp and confusing. The thorough research has been translated into a strong text with a daring staging. The stage here is a platform for diverse perspectives. The players create their characters through dedication, focus and performances of great accuracy. Through their commitment and the consistent elaboration of the concept, the performance seduces the spectator to take a stand that veers from empathy to aversion. Skillfully, the direction stays away from judgement of individual characters. This allows the spectator to become internally entangled in the fluid roles of witness, referee and bystander.”
