HEDDA GABBER - Daniëlle Deddens, Wijnand Gomes and Jannes Coessens

Hedda Gabler returns after 135 years - this time as a hardstyle performance.

The world of 2026 races forward like an endless DJ set, driven by (f)influencers, career gurus and productivity hustlers. Standing still means falling behind, so the mantra goes. In Hedda Gabber, Daniëlle Deddens dusts off Ibsen's famous character and places her opposite a Gen-Z'er for whom boredom seems simply impossible. Through this confrontation, Deddens explores with musician/producer Wijnand Gomes what stillness means in the neoliberal now: can humans still feel bored, and how do you find peace in a world on fire?

The performance moves through a fluid theatrical world - from hyperpop kitsch to sultry ballads, from Ibsen quotes to TikTok speak. Deddens acts, sings and moves through it all, with a hefty dose of Gen Z anxiety but also a deep-rooted belief that everything will be okay.

Daniëlle Deddens, Wijnand Gomes and Jannes Coessens won the Werkplaats Walhalla Pitch 2025 with this concept.

Credits - Performance: Daniëlle Deddens, Wijnand Gomes | Concept: Daniëlle Deddens | Final direction: Lisa Schamlé | Text: Jannes Coessens | Composition: Wijnand Gomes | Set and lighting design: Erik van de Wijdeven | Dramaturgy: Loulou Hameleers