Photo: Bart Grietens
Productions
At Ulrike Quade Company, we create visual theatre that pushes the boundaries of the possible. Our performances are not simply fictional; they are deeply rooted in reality and enriched by scientific research. This makes our work more relevant and meaningful than pure fantasy.
Collaborating with various universities and disciplines, such as humanities at Utrecht University and robotics at Delft University of Technology, allows us to integrate different perspectives. We combine the insights from these disciplines with our own artistic research and the free thinking that characterises the arts.
Our theatre combines (puppet) play with music, dance, literature and scene design. We use traditional Bunraku puppet plays as well as hyper-realistic puppets, robots and digital cyborgs.
By intertwining puppetry with modern technology, we constantly seek new forms. We draw inspiration from myths and stories of the past to unravel the ‘now’ and explore and shape the future.
“In my performances, I show that nothing is what it seems, and that we should always question self-evidences”
Our stories, like that of Prometheus, are meant to explain the world and offer comfort, insights and hope. We see the era of coexistence with technology as a hopeful one.
Ulrike Quade Company’s productions outline possible futures and create illusions that briefly touch the core of human desire. These moments of magic trigger other stories and associations, bringing you back to yourself and making you reflect on what you think. Hopefully, our performances will make you feel you can give direction to the life you want to lead.
Spotlight
15 February, Stadsschouwburg Utrecht
A Theatrical Exploration of Humans and Technology
Face to face with the virtuoso robot Spot, we explore a future where humans and machines become increasingly intertwined. Is Spot a solution to our problems or a reflection of new challenges?
Through a fusion of visual theater, puppetry, and cutting-edge technology, Ulrike Quade Company, in collaboration with YES!Delft, raises questions that provoke and challenge us to think further.
This is not a vision of the future. This is now.
Agenda
15 February, Stadsschouwburg Utrecht
A theatrical exploration of humans and technology, where Spot the robot challenges us to reflect on the impact of machines on our future.
5, 6, 7, 8 February 2025, Frascati Theatre (Amsterdam)
Celebrating its 10th anniversary: a four-day performance series with artists from Amsterdam
Expected in spring 2026
A performance that explores the boundary between technology and human emotions and challenges us to think about memory and loss.
Orito
Archive
Expected in 2027
A unique performance inspired by the novel ‘The Unanswered Prayers of Jacob the Sweet’ by David Mitchell. This story explores themes of fertility, the fear of mortality, and the quest for eternal life.
Productions A-Z
View our archive: Ulrike Quade Company’s active, enduring record of artistic methods, collaborations and findings. Explore 20 years of interdisciplinary processes with technology, robots, puppets and visual theatre. Inspiration for students and makers in the future.
Agenda
15 February, Stadsschouwburg Utrecht
A theatrical exploration of humans and technology, where Spot the robot challenges us to reflect on the impact of machines on our future.
Come Together
5, 6, 7, 8 February 2025, Frascati Theatre (Amsterdam)
Celebrating its 10th anniversary: a four-day performance series with artists from Amsterdam
Roman and E.L.I.Z.A.
Expected in spring 2026
A performance that explores the boundary between technology and human emotions and challenges us to think about memory and loss.
Orito
Expected in 2027
A unique performance inspired by the novel ‘The Unanswered Prayers of Jacob the Sweet’ by David Mitchell. This story explores themes of fertility, the fear of mortality, and the quest for eternal life.
Archive
Productions A-Z
View our archive: Ulrike Quade Company’s active, enduring record of artistic methods, collaborations and findings. Explore 20 years of interdisciplinary processes with technology, robots, puppets and visual theatre. Inspiration for students and makers in the future.
Photo: Urska Boljkovac
‘Dolls and technology can be thought of as opposites, tradition versus innovation, but fundamentally they are not much different. AI, holograms and robots, are also basically just blank canvases, animated objects, that come to life.’
– Ulrike Quade
