POPPULISM

POPpulism is a darkly comic puppet performance about the mechanisms of political manipulation. In the kingdom of Berg en Dal (Mountain and Valley), the valley is almost always in the shade while the mountain gets plenty of sun. When valley-dweller Barrie claims that the mountain-dwellers are stealing their sunlight — and promises to get it back — he gradually becomes the valley’s “hero”.

Inspired by George Saunders’ The Brief and Frightening Reign of Phil, the performance brings together three actors and a musician, puppetry, live percussion and vocals to explore how fear, resentment and simple narratives can be used to manipulate people.

The mountain — the central image of the story — became the starting point for my scenography. I wanted to create a slightly dark, shadowed world for the valley at its foot, where the inhabitants receive very little sunlight. Joining the project after puppet designer Eva Arends, I was inspired by the angular geometry of her puppet designs and developed the mountain as a faceted, polygonal structure, creating a visual connection between the characters and the world around them.

Working closely with the lighting designer Douwe Bulten, we developed an illuminated outline around the mountain, using backlit LED strips to transform its silhouette and create different atmospheric states throughout the performance. I also designed the other scenic objects and props, including the puppet stands, a podium and a transforming table.