“Interesting documentary theatre, about a part of the world that seemed almost forgotten.”
De Volkskrant, NL 17.06.19


“It’s the genius of the editing that makes ‘Pleasant Island’ a hallucinatory document with an unprecedented form, between performance and documentary.”
IO Gazette, FR 05.10.20


“Human, personal, understandable and accessible.”
El Punt Avui, SP 23.11.20

Hidden in the Pacific Ocean lies the island of Nauru, once called ‘Pleasant Island’ by European explorers. Although its size makes it one of the smallest nations in the world, its history is both large and significant. Nauru is often seen as a parable for our current world. The island was severely impacted by the effects of colonization, capitalism, forced migration and ecological distress of which the consequences still linger today.

After the exhaustive exploitation of its natural resources, the island was left in economic and ecologic ruins. Today Nauru is most known for hosting Australian refugee detention centres in return for a large amount of Australian money. This sparked the government of Nauru to ban most journalists and researchers from entering the island in an effort to keep negative news from reaching the outside world. Meanwhile, the island risks being swallowed by the ocean as a result of the rising sea level.

Silke and Hannes were exceptionally allowed to visit the island for a couple of weeks in the summer of 2018. In Pleasant Island they try to understand the historical, ecological and humanitarian exhaustion of the island, and by extension of our entire planet. In ‘Pleasant Island’ Silke and Hannes use their personal smartphones to navigate the spectator through audio and images from their research on Nauru. How to encounter the limitations of a world that is intent on endless growth? What idea of the future is left on Nauru and the rest of the world?

By & with: Silke Huysmans & Hannes Dereere
Dramaturgical advice: Dries Douibi 
Sound mixing: Lieven Dousselaere 
Production: Campo 
Coproduction: De Brakke Grond, KAAP, Kunstenfestivaldesarts, Kwp Pianofabriek, Spielart Festival, Spring Festival, Veem House for Performance

With the support of: VGC
Residencies: Beursschouwburg, Buda, De Brakke Grond, De Grote Post, Kaap, Kwp Pianofabriek, LOD, Stuk, Veem House for Performance
Thanks to: all conversation partners

REVIEW
Bakchormeeboy, Singapore, 10.08.2023

REVIEW
The Straits Times, Singapore, 06.08.2023

INTERVIEW
Bakchormeeboy, Singapore, 24.07.2023  

INTERVIEW
Unlimited, Turkey, 04.05.2023

ESSAY
Moving Image Review & Art Journal, Belgium, 22.05.2022

REVIEW
Kriterij, Slovenia, 29.08.2021

REVIEW
Kriterij, Slovenia, 26.08.2021

REVIEW
Theater Commons Tokyo, Japan, 03.03.2021

INTERVIEW
Radio 1, Belgium 02.02.2021

REVIEW
El Punt Avui, Spain, 23.11.2020

INTERVIEW
El Punt Avui, Spain, 17.11.2020

INTERVIEW
Diari de Girona, Spain, 14.11.2020 

REVIEW
IO Gazette, France, 05.10.2020

INTERVIEW
Corriere Del Ticino, Switzerland, 04.10.2020

INTERVIEW
Le Courrier, Switzerland, 01.09.2020

INTERVIEW
Cement Festival, The Netherlands, 15.01.2020

REVIEW
Der Standard, Austria, 07.01.2020

REVIEW
Asahi News, Japan, 12.09.2019

REVIEW
De Zendelingen, Belgium, 10.07.2019

REVIEW 
Des Mots de Minuit, France, 21.05.2019

INTERVIEW
SPRING Radio, The Netherlands, 21.05.2019 

REVIEW
Le Monde, France, 13.05.2019

REVIEW
Theaterkrant, The Netherlands, 13.05.2019 

REVIEW
De Standaard, Belgium, 13.05.2019 

REVIEW
De Volkskrant, The Netherlands, 12.05.2019

INTERVIEW
 De Morgen, Belgium, 09.05.2019

INTERVIEW
 Klara, Belgium, 06.05.2019

UPCOMING DATES:

→ 2024

02.10 | Sirenos, Vilnius (LT)

New dates to be announced

PAST DATES:

→ 2023

23.09 | Divadelna Nitra (SK)
03.08 | Esplanade, Singapore (SG)
02.08 | Esplanade, Singapore (SG)
10.05 | Beykoz Kundura, Istanbul (TR)

→ 2022

23.11 | KAAP/ CC Brugge (BE) 
08.10 | GC Felix Sohie, Hoeilaart (BE)
06.10 | Bundeskunsthalle, Bonn (DE) 
29.09 | Monty, Antwerp (BE)
30.05 | Freiburg Festival (DE)
29.05 | Freiburg Festival (DE)
23.04 | 30CC, Leuven (BE)
23.02 | Warwick Arts Centre, Coventry (UK)
22.02 | Warwick Arts Centre, Coventry (UK)
03.02 | Het Paleis, Antwerp (BE)

→ 2021

10.11 | Schaubude, Berlin (DE)
09.11 | Schaubude, Berlin (DE)
07.11 | Euro-scene, Leipzig (DE)
06.11 | Euro-scene, Leipzig (DE)
28.10 | Theater Chur, Chur (CH)
23.10 | Les Brigittines, Brussels (BE)
22.10 | Les Brigittines, Brussels (BE)
21.10 | Les Brigittines, Brussels (BE)
15.10 | Schwankhalle, Bremen (DE)
29.08 | Verkadefabriek, Den Bosch (NL)
28.08 | Verkadefabriek, Den Bosch (NL)
27.08 | Verkadefabriek, Den Bosch (NL)
23.08 | Mladi Levi, Ljubljana (SI)
22.08 | Mladi Levi, Ljubljana (SI)
15.06 | Rurhfestspiele, Recklinghausen (DE) *
14.06 | Rurhfestspiele, Recklinghausen (DE) *
13.06 | Rurhfestspiele, Recklinghausen (DE) *
04.06 | CCHA, Hasselt (BE) *
28.05 | Theater Chur, Chur (CH)
07.05 | Auawawirleben, Bern (CH)
06.05 | Auawawirleben, Bern (CH)
05.05 | Auawawirleben, Bern (CH)
23.04 | Het Paleis, Antwerp (BE) *
22.04 | 30CC, Leuven (BE) *
27.03 | Festival Cement, Den Bosch (NL) *
26.03 | Festival Cement, Den Bosch (NL) *
25.03 | Festival Cement, Den Bosch (NL) *
20.03 | Les Brigittines, Brussels (BE) *
19.03 | Les Brigittines, Brussels (BE) *
18.03 | Les Brigittines, Brussels (BE) *
23.02 | CC Brugge & Kaap, Bruges (BE) *
06.02 | CC De Factorij, Zaventem (BE) *
03.02 | Warwick Arts Centre, Coventry (UK) *
02.02 | Warwick Arts Centre, Coventry (UK) *

→ 2020

05.12 | Beursschouwburg, Brussels (BE) *
04.12 | Beursschouwburg, Brussels (BE) *
28.11 | CC Ter Vesten, Beveren (BE) *
21.11 | Het Paleis, Antwerp (BE) *
20.11 | OC Vondel, Meulebeke (BE) *
17.11 | Arge Kultur, Salzburg (AT) *
16.11 | Arge Kultur, Salzburg (AT) *
08.11 | Festival Temporada Alta, Girona (SP) *
23.10 | Oortreders Festival, Pelt (BE) *
17.10 | Festival d'Automne, Paris (FR) 
16.10 | Festival d'Automne, Paris (FR)
15.10 | Festival d'Automne, Paris (FR)
14.10 | Festival d'Automne, Paris (FR)
13.10 | Festival d'Automne, Paris (FR)
11.10 | Cambridge Junction (UK) *
09.10 | ACCA, Brighton (UK) *
08.10 | Artsadmin, London (UK) *
07.10 | FIT Festival, Lugano (CH)
06.10 | Contact Theatre, Manchester (UK) *
26.09 | Actoral, Marseille (FR)
25.09 | Actoral, Marseille (FR)
07.09 | La Bâtie, Geneva (CH)
06.09 | La Bâtie, Geneva (CH)
17.08 | Zürcher Theater Spektakel (CH) *
16.08 | Zürcher Theater Spektakel (CH) *
15.08 | Zürcher Theater Spektakel (CH) *
12.07 | Festival Theaterformen, Hannover (DE) *
11.07 | Festival Theaterformen, Hannover (DE) *
26.06 | Festival Belluard Bollwerk, Fribourg (CH)​ *
27.05 | Freiburg Festival (DE) *
26.05 | Freiburg Festival (DE) *
13.05 | Auawirleben, Bern (CH) *
12.05 | Auawirleben, Bern (CH) *
30.04 | CC De Schakel, Waregem (BE) *
23.04 | Warwick Arts Centre, Coventry (UK) *
22.04 | Warwick Arts Centre, Coventry (UK) *
03.04 | Zona K, Milano (IT) *
02.04 | Zona K, Milano (IT) *
25.03 | Festival Cement, Den Bosch (NL) *
24.03 | Festival Cement, Den Bosch (NL) *
21.03 | Points Communs, Cergy-Pontoise (FR) *
20.03 | Points Communs, Cergy-Pontoise (FR) *
18.03 | Pilar, Brussels (BE) *
13.03 | Leietheater, Deinze (BE) *
11.03 | Arenbergschouwburg, Antwerp (BE)
06.03 | Theatre Commons, Tokyo (JP)
05.03 | Theatre Commons, Tokyo (JP)
07.02 | Rosendal Teater, Trondheim (NO)
06.02 | Rosendal Teater, Trondheim (NO)
11.01 | Tanzquartier Wien (AT)
10.01 | Tanzquartier Wien (AT)

→ 2019

29.11 | Akcent Festival, Prague (CZ)
22.11 | Nona, Mechelen (BE)
31.10 | Pact Zollverein, Essen (DE)
29.10 | Spielart, Munich (DE)
28.10 | Spielart, Munich (DE)
26.10 | De Grote Post, Ostend (BE)
25.10 | Campo, Ghent (BE)
24.10 | Campo, Ghent (BE)
23.10 | Campo, Ghent (BE)
04.10 | Materiais Diversos, Cartaxo (PT)
25.09 | De Brakke Grond, Amsterdam (NL)
24.09 | De Brakke Grond, Amsterdam (NL)
08.08 | Theater Aan Zee, Ostend (BE)
08.08 | Theater Aan Zee, Ostend (BE)
07.08 | Theater Aan Zee, Ostend (BE)
27.06 | Latitudes Contemporaines, Lille (FR)
21.05 | Spring Festival, Utrecht (NL)
20.05 | Spring Festival, Utrecht (NL)
13.05 | Kunstenfestivaldesarts, Brussels (BE)
12.05 | Kunstenfestivaldesarts, Brussels (BE) 
12.05 | Kunstenfestivaldesarts, Brussels (BE) 
11.05 | Kunstenfestivaldesarts, Brussels (BE)  
10.05 | Kunstenfestivaldesarts, Brussels (BE)

* cancelled / postponed due to covid-19