NOW WE ARE EARTH / An Orchestra

“The performers slip seamlessly between song, acting, dance, and live music. Hillary Blake Firestone and Felix Schellekens shine as magnetic standouts.”

“In their physical connection, Beutler’s vision comes alive: transformation and interdependence as the very foundations of community and the survival of our planet.”

“The second act is a showstopper: a scene where audience members ‘spontaneously’ burst into song. Suddenly, a choir surrounds you from every direction — a spellbinding moment of collective harmony, the voices’ unique timbres resonating through your entire body.”

Alexander Hiskemuller, 6 July 2025

“Everything comes together in this third part of Nicole Beutler’s RITUALS OF TRANSFORMATION trilogy: the spatial set in circles […] ; the distinct costumes marking each chapter; the at times enchanting lightning; the musical composition that drives the action with flawless timing — mysterious when it needs to intrigue, sharply rhythmic at moments of high energy; the local choirs enlisted for each performance, prepared to perfection; and the eight performers who sing, dance, and execute acrobatic formations in perfect sync.”

“The ensemble wields the dance idiom like a language, a shared grammar — yet especially in the opening sequences, each performer seems free to search for their own dialect within it. Gradually, they appear less isolated from one another, reaching out more and more, until a community takes shape.”

"[Er zijn] boeiende betekenisvolle beelden, een handelsmerk van Beutler: de gemaskerde dierendans bijvoorbeeld, of de scène waarbij het eerder genoemde gestileerde bos rondtolt in een voortdurend veranderend licht in een onvoorstelbaar scala aan kleurschakeringen. En de mooi uitgewerkte optredens van twee reuzenratten die afwisselend en soms samen de voorstelling als totaal ritmeren."

“Beutler’s trademark striking imagery abounds: the masked animal dance, for instance, or the scene in which the stylized forest spins beneath a constantly shifting play of light in an astonishing spectrum of colors. And not least, the finely crafted appearances of two giant rats, who alternately - and at times together - set the rhythm for the entire performance.”

Javier López Piñón, 29 mei 2025

“The rat, long despised as a symbol of vermin, delivers a striking monologue on survival, eating whatever scraps he can find at night and thriving through community. A lesson for humanity.”

“The ensemble of eight powerful performers — diverse in age, gender, and color — scrape, sing, stomp, and swing their way through the five songs across and above a blue-and-white cosmic circle.”

“Gary Shepherd’s electronic score weaves a mesmerizing trance: gusts of bristling wind tones sweep across a freshly mown field of razor-sharp percussion.”

“Timo Tembuyser (...) gives voice to a heavenly feeling of togetherness. In her direction, Beutler cleverly and effectively involves the locally recruited singers in this ‘musical and embodied journey to a new resonance’.”

Annette Embrechts, 28 mei 2025

“Nicole Beutler delivers a moving finale to her Rituals of Transformation trilogy - achieved with the outstanding team she curated."

“A spirited work that envelops the audience in new energy, offering humanity new rituals and new forms of connection.”

“Beutler steadily carves out an entirely unique form, perfected in this final chapter of her trilogy RITUALS OF TRANSFORMATION.”

Wendy Lubberding, 27 mei 2025

"Where platitudes often replace hope, Now We Are Earth invites us to believe in something better through our imaginations." 

"The show makes you feel the freedom that comes with taking responsibility for our climate, guided by love for one another. It doesn’t preach—it simulates that reality in the theatre. [...] The message was strong yet comforting – not a thump but a rest, a credit to the balance Beutler achieves through her brilliant direction."

Atulya Jain 27th May 2025

Read the full article here.