In Woyzeck: in de TBS, professional actors, forensic psychiatric patients, and staff members join forces to explore Georg Büchner’s world-famous unfinished play. A soldier slowly losing his grip on reality. An affair. A knife. A murder. Woyzeck is one of the first works in world literature to depict a crime committed by someone deemed not criminally responsible, revealing how a perpetrator can also be a victim.
Büchner left behind 27 separate scenes that can be performed in any order. In Woyzeck: in de TBS, directed by Casper Vandeputte, the story is created live and can unfold differently every night. On stage, staff members and patients from the Van der Hoeven Clinic perform alongside actors Vincent van der Valk and Marieke Giebels, who move among them, guiding, performing, and interrupting the action.
What happens inside the mind of someone who is losing their grip on life and becoming increasingly violent? And what impact does that have on those around them and the people they love? If a perpetrator also turns out to be a victim, how far removed are we ourselves from violence? And why do we keep watching—what is it that fascinates us?
In Woyzeck: in de TBS, we venture to the edge of madness and the threshold of violence. Ultimately, each performance revolves around a single question—one that matters to every actor, every patient, and every audience member alike: can you become a different person?
About Casper Vandeputte
Casper Vandeputte (1985) is a writer, director, and one of the resident makers at Theater Utrecht. He graduated from the Directing programme at the Maastricht Academy of Dramatic Arts in 2008 and has since developed into one of the leading voices in Dutch theatre.
Casper creates vibrant, socially engaged performances in which he continually seeks out intense emotion, humour, and compassion. Through his transparent theatrical style and open perspective, he makes large and often challenging themes—such as identity, love, trauma, inheritance, and power—accessible and deeply human. His work moves effortlessly between different contexts and audiences. He is equally at home creating a production such as Woyzeck: in de TBS in collaboration with the Van der Hoeven Clinic, as he is developing projects with the young, multi-voiced generation of performers at DOX, Utrecht’s production house for young artists from diverse subcultures. This broad practice makes his work both socially grounded and artistically distinctive.
Combining directing, writing, and dramaturgy, Casper creates performances for both young audiences and adults. He has previously worked with companies including The National Theatre of the Netherlands, Toneelschuur Producties, Theater Oostpool, and DOX. His productions are regularly selected for festivals, widely acclaimed by critics, and recognised with major theatre awards.
Through his work, Casper continually explores what connects people, especially at moments of friction and tension. In doing so, he has developed a distinctive artistic and social signature that is both recognisable and impactful.
Performance dates
Credits
Concept, Text & Direction: Casper Vandeputte
Performers & Text: Marieke Giebels, Vincent van der Valk, patients and staff members of the Van der Hoeven Clinic (cast varies per performance)
Set & Lighting Design: Julian Maiwald
Costume Design: Rebekka Wörmann
Campaign Image: Petra Urban