De draaischijf

Capitole Gent, Ghent4 data

The Antwerp Opera plays a prominent role in Tom Lanoye's acclaimed novel De draaischijf. The protagonist, Alex Desmedt, is obsessed with the theatre. In pre-war Antwerp, he works his way up from actor and director to theatre director -- alongside his wife and muse Lea, a Dutch-Jewish actress. Alex also seeks to be an innovator in form, by introducing a turntable as an extra stage upon the stage. Shortly after the start of the German occupation, he is appointed director-general of the Antwerp…