The Elderly & Desire

Intimate theatre about aging and passion

Inspired by their own grandfathers, who were still suitors at a very old age, director Lucas De Man and writer Oscar Kocken made the performance The Elderly & Desire. For months they bombarded elderly people with questions such as: Can you still fall in love at the age of 80? Do the butterflies still feel the same as in your twenties? Do you still have sex? And how do people around you react to that?

Kocken & De Man spoke to psychologists, caretakers, activity supervisors and pastors, but mainly to the elderly themselves. With them, they spoke candidly about their love lives past, about their passion and hesitation, boredom and present day adventures. Because even though the subject is cheered on for young people and shunned for the elderly, a leopard can’t change its spots. All these stories of past and present were turned into a performance filled with music, film, words and even a little dance here and there. In every city the performance is adjusteed to regional history: the kissing alleys that existed in those days, the places where boys and girls met, where they danced the foxtrot. In addition, in every performance Kocken & De Man are assisted by a singer who’s over 70.

STRICT DOOR POLICY: this show is exclusively accessible for people over 65 or those who are accompanied by a person over 65. Curious youngsters should therefore invite their grandparents, neighbours or other loving elderly to come along.

The show first played in 2009 and toured until 2018 in the Netherlands and Belgium, in theaters, halls and homes. Elderly & Desire can now only be booked on special request.