Powers of Speech

Whether prepared in advanced or improvised on the spot, a speech is always given in a context of the “here and now” which is similar to that of the theatre where an audience listens while an argument or point of view is developed. In every age, country, culture and societal system, speeches have been one of the most significant driving forces in the political functioning of states and communities. In a performance series initiated by the Kaaitheater in Brussels and the Siemens Stiftung, four international theater makers have created works exploring the formal and substantive forces behind the speech that in extremes can lead to war or peace, to “good” or to “evil”.