Drama
Extra Life
Gisèle Vienne
The New Stage
Drama
Medea’s Children
Milo Rau / NTGent
Festival Pražské křižovatky
The New Stage
Prague Crossroads Festival
Basic information
Venue
The New Stage
Approximate running time1 hour 30 minutes, no intermission
LanguageIn Dutch, surtitles in English, Czech
PRAGUE CROSSROADS FESTIVAL
Introduction and programme
WARNING: This show contains scenes that directly or indirectly refer to suicide and violence against children and contains scenes involving fake blood. Suitable for audience from 16 years.
Medea’s Children: the absurd and blood-drenched tragedies of adult life seen through the eyes of children – a small history of theatre and a school of life as cruel as it is poetic.
About
Medea's Children, the new creation of Milo Rau, is a theatre history in miniature, where children find their voices and reflect on separation, injustice and the power of tragedy.
With Medea’s Children Milo Rau takes a new, deep look at the role of children in theatre. A real criminal case is the starting point: the case of a mother who, in total despair, decides to kill her children and take her own life – but she survives. This modern tragedy is interweaved with the classical tragedy Medea, the most infamous case of relationship conflict and infanticide in Western literature.
A group of children take this bloody crime case and the perhaps darkest origin narrative of European culture as an opportunity to reflect on themselves: on family history, first love and first encounters with death, on desires for the future and fears of the end of the world that haunts us all. How does a child deal with the divorce of its parents? With injustice, the breaking of friendships, the pressure at school? How do they deal with the radical power of Medea – with tragedy in general? The children, condemned to silence in the classical tragedies, finally have their say this time around.
WARNING: This show contains scenes that directly or indirectly refer to suicide and violence against children and contains scenes involving fake blood.
Suitable for audience from 16 years.
Cast and creatives
Peter Seynaeve / Lien Wildemeersch, Anna Matthys / Juliette Debackere, Emma Van de Casteele / Ella Brennan, Jade Versluys / Bernice Van Walleghem, Gabriël El Houari / Aiko Benaouisse, Sanne De Waele / Helena Van de Casteele, Vik Neirinck / Elias Maes
Concept & direction: Milo Rau
Dramaturgy: Kaatje De Geest
Set design: ruimtevaarders (Karolien De Schepper, Christophe Engels)
Props design: Joris Soenen
Costume design: Jo De Visscher
Light design: Dennis Diels
Video design: Moritz von Dungern
Sound design: Elia Rediger
Acting coaching: Peter Seynaeve / Lien Wildemeersch
Child guidance: Dirk Crommelinck
Production: NTGent
Coproduction: Wiener Festwochen, La Biennale de Venezia, ITA – Internationaal Theater Amsterdam, Tandem – Scène nationale (Arras Douai)
Photo and video gallery
Share
You Might be interested
Practical information
Where to buy tickets
When purchasing online, you can get an e-ticket. You can pick up printed tickets in person at the box offices of the National Theatre.
The National Theatre sells tickets up to 6 months in advance - currently for August 2026 – January 2027.
Sales always start on the 1st day of the month at 9am, except in January when pre-sales do not start until the 2nd day due to a public holiday.
What to wear?
By their appearance, attire and behaviour, the audience is obliged to adhere to the accustomed practice expected from them when attending a theatre performance.
Parking at the National Theater
While visiting The National Theatre and the New Stage you can use again the underground car park of the National Theatre. Information and a parking fee.