The group consists mainly of hunters. Old money, refined, but financially struggling. The only thing they still have is the hunt. The last tradition that has not yet been destroyed by yuppies. With their dogs in the forests, they feel at one with nature and like landowners of a bygone era. But society portrays their traditions as inhumane and elitist, so they will have to let go.

What follows is an extensive group therapy session. Breathwork, all the stages of grief—everything is brought out by the therapist to prepare the hunters for the new world. Meanwhile, the traumatised red deer is rehabilitated, and Diana, the goddess of the hunt, appears in a final desperate attempt to defend her right to exist.

Director Jasper van Hofwegen: “The Vegetarian Hunting Cantata seeks to pose major questions in a light and accessible way. The style of performance will be grotesque and comic.”

Kofferbak Collectief creates small-scale, high-quality and accessible music theatre. It begins with exceptionally strong music, sung in Dutch. Musically, The Vegetarian Hunting Cantata is loosely inspired by the Hunting Cantata, BWV 208, by J.S. Bach, supplemented with a range of repertoire from the Baroque period and beyond.

On this foundation, Kofferbak Collectief builds theatrical spectacles that literally and figuratively take place in today’s world. With minimal resources (one car boot full), any location can briefly be transformed into an opera stage. For this production, Kofferbak Collectief collaborates with Opera2day.