A dramatic concert on love and on the difficulty to talk about it.

On tour in Flanders, France and the Netherlands until February 2008.

A prince has everything he needs to be happy, except love ("liefde"). The problem is his hands, which are far too big. He nevertheless succumbs hopelessly to the charms of a young maiden. He is prepared to do anything to win her. Liefde / his hands is a fairytale with all the usual features: drama, passion, beauty and cruelty. On stage we see a narrator, two singing actors and musicians: cello, sax, piano, electric guitar and bass, drums and bass clarinet. Musicians who are old hands in every style. The story unfolds gradually, and is built up step by step in front of the audience. All in a collective attempt to say something about love. Because the word is so hard to grasp.

Liefde / his hands is a performance by Josse De Pauw with music from Jan Kuijken. It fits within the tradition of ‘dramatic concerts’, where text and music are organically interwoven. This was also the case with Weg (1998), Larf (2000) en Die Siel van die Mier (2004, also starring Jan Kuijken).

“This narrative concert drags you down in the darkness and despair arisen by De Pauw. Liefde / his hands is the most intrusive when the tragedy definitely gains the upper hand.” (Daniëlle De Regt, De Standaard, 9/11/2007)