Monstergolf – Hondsbossche en Pettemer dam - 2012

It was a spectacular opening, where hundreds of participants joined the ‘human wave’ at the Hondbossche and Pettemer dam for the 20th anniversary of the theatre festival Caravan in 2012.

The project ‘Monstergolf’ (monster wave) gave form to the festival’s theme of Karavaan: ‘From coast to coast’: play or fear? From now up to the year 2050, the sea level will rise with one foot. How long will we survive living below sea level? Bruno Doedens was inspired by this phenomenon of the threatening rising sea level and the beach replenishment plans along the Dutch coastline.

At July the 15th, the Hondbossche and Pettemer dam functioned as a stage for the large-scale public event Monstergolf. More than eight hundred enthusiastic participants played in this landscapetheatre-experiment. Highlight of the event was the ‘human wave’ formed by the participants at the weakest spot on the dam. A three kilometer long human wave, fighting against the threatening sea. Via a mini radio, an alternation of stories from the past, present and future, live music and movement codes were transferred to the participants.

Bruno Doedens: “What we have shown here is that working together is nice and even more nice with all different kinds of people. Today we experienced a lot of pleasure, but we also learned how urgent the problem of the rising sea level is”.

Monstergolf is a production of Karavaan and SLeM and is organized in collaboration with the Hoogheemraadschap Hollands Noorderkwartier.