Lonely on your therapist’s couch

On the couch with her therapist, she goes from bursting with laughter to panic and finally spinning into the depths. She lies on her back, her hands clasped together, her gaze staring vaguely into the distance. After the death of her husband, Merle (Lotte Driessen) becomes confused. She hears voices and emotions swirling; reality and fantasy become inextricable.

Director Mattias van de Vijver blends times and realities in a musical theater performance Orchestra Soledad. On one side of the stage, Merle’s husband (Reinout Scholten van Aschat) practices with his choir; on the other hand, the conversations Merle has with her therapist go off the rails. Soon these worlds become mixed. The choir members become voices in the grieving woman’s universe and appear next to her in the corridors of the institution where she ends up.

Nightmares

The increasing confusion that arises is beautifully played by Lotte Driessen. At first she is still approachable, you can still follow the conversation on that couch, but she has less and less control over her behavior. She gets caught up in nightmares and no longer understands the world. Driessen does this without losing sympathy and – despite the great emotions – she keeps it believable.

Opponent Scholten van Aschat also juggles the facets of his role beautifully. He is strong at dramatic moments, but he also knows how to find the right tone in humorous intermezzos. He keeps it light and knows how to hit, for example when he receives his death sentence by telephone: an incurable disease. The buzz of the ringing telephone – an ominous ‘bzzz’ – is a recurring sound in the scenes.

An ensemble of trainees, who are still studying at various theater schools, surround the two experienced actors. They are an amateur choir, pouring tea for each other and reading the semi-philosophical labels on the bags, warming up their voices. In this group of talents, vocal capabilities stand out (Serah Doku Meijboom) and actors excel in dry comedy (Sem Abelskamp).

Voting as a web

In Ludwig Bindervoet’s text, the choir scenes provide a counterbalance to the scenes on the couch. When the worlds mix, things become more serious, sometimes dark. The live music, accompanied by Scholten van Aschat on keys, is essential. Choir melodies alternate between completely electronic songs or sound on jazzy rhythms. In addition to a soundtrack to the dialogues, the choral singing also brings the characters together. In this way the loneliness is sometimes lifted for a moment, the voices like a web that catches the lost.

Director Van de Vijver based the theater performance on his own experiences. In the scenes with practitioners – who only half know files or who seem to have forgotten that confused people are people too – criticism of our healthcare system shines through. Facts are sometimes stated emphatically, but as a whole Orchestra Soledad a disarming portrait of someone who becomes entangled, first within himself and then in a medical process. Ultimately, it is the music that provides support and comfort.

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