with the support of the Flemish Government
It was a rewarding spring for Cherish Menzo and the team around D̶A̶R̶K̶MATTER. The production was selected for both the Dutch Theatre Festival and its Flemish counterpart. It was also nominated for several awards: the VSCD Mime/Performance award, The BNG Bank Theaterprijs, the flemish Actors’ Guild Performance award, the Dutch Drama Jury prize for best direction and the VSCD Swan award as one of the most impressive dance performances of 2023.
Two of those nominations were won:
– Winner of the BNG Bank Theater Prize (2023)
– Winner of the Dutch Drama Jury prize for best direction (Nederlandse Dansdagen, Maastricht, 2023)
During the Dutch Theatre Festival, the BNG Bank Theaterprijs 2023 worth 45,000 euros was awarded to Cherish Menzo. The BNG Culture Fund created the prize to encourage young theatre talent up to the age of 35.
The jury: “In the performance D̶A̶R̶K̶MATTER, Cherish Menzo identifies darkness as a driving force for healing and transformation. Two characters explore the sci-fi-like darkness presented on stage. In the exploration, moments of strong visual theatre alternate with total darkness. Hoodies, patent boots with platform soles, black paint and gold grills seem to be introduced as the space suits that brought them here. But they have arrived safely, so the protection can be taken off. The chopped-&-screwed beats turn pessimistic rap lyrics, which seem to come from another reality, into a hypnotic mantra. These tools are used by amazing movers Cherish Menzo and Camilo Mejía Cortés to take the audience into their dark fairytale world.
