Peeping Tom

Peeping Tom is a Belgian dance theatre company, founded by Gabriela Carrizo (I/AR) and Franck Chartier (F). With Eurudike De Beul, who would become a frequent collaborator at the company, they created a first location project that took place in a trailer home, Caravana (1999).

Everything in Peeping Tom’s work starts from a hyperrealist setting. The space feels familiar, such as a garden, a living room and a basement in the first trilogy (Le Jardin, 2002; Le Salon, 2004; Le Sous Sol, 2007), two trailer homes in a snow-covered landscape in 32 rue Vandenbranden (2009), a retirement home in Vader (2014) or a cruise ship in DIPTYCH/TRIPTYCH (2020).

The creators then break open this realism. They create an unstable universe that defies the logic of time, space and mood. You become the witness – or rather, the voyeur? – of what usually remains hidden and unsaid. Isolation leads to an unconscious world of nightmares, fears and desires, which the creators deftly use to shed light on the dark side of a character or a community. The huis clos of family situations remains for Peeping Tom a major source of creativity. Presented using a rich imagery, a fascinating battle arises against one’s environment and against oneself.

Peeping Tom receives structural subsidies from the Flemish government.

Since its foundation in 2000 in Brussels, Peeping Tom has presented its creations around the world. The company has received several important awards, including and Olivier Award in the United Kingdom for 32 rue Vandenbranden and La Ruta, a Patrons Circle Award at the International Arts Festival in Melbourne as well as several selections for the Belgian and Dutch Theatre Festivals.