MOTIVATION…
A smile, a startle, an open mouth in amazement. That’s all it has to be. The feeling, on the way home, that you touched people in some way. That they are thinking about that strange encounter tonight. And doubt.
The Abacus Theater is the work of creator and builder Jan Wessels, who, along with his son Peter and a changing group of players and artisans, seeks to shed the dull everyday reality for a while.
Somewhere in the countryside in northern Netherlands is their home base, where they are constantly working on new plans….
30 years underway with Abacus Theatre
It was in the early 1990s that I started working in streettheatre alongside my “real job.” First, with “crazy” characters who appeared out of nowhere at parties and events. Soon after, the first “stilt acts” appeared. Costumes cobbled together at home on the sewing machine; stilt creations made in all sorts of variations. From street fairs to annual markets, from company parties to street theater festivals. Years on stilts around the world. Many kilometers, returning home to the north at night in the dark. Everything gets boring eventually, and stilts made way for moving objects. My childhood learning process in my father’s blacksmith shop suddenly came in very handy. Translating my imagination into moving objects made of iron, wood, and plastic turned out to be a talent few artists possess. Since 2000, I have been working full-time as an artist.
In 2004, I began building the Time Cruisers. A series of mobile “time machines” inspired by the imagination and stories of Jules Verne. The style with rivets and steam fantasy was later called Steampunk. In the years that followed, I created several Wastelander vehicles. These post-apocalyptic machines have since participated in countless parades. They have been continuously modified over the years, and the current series is now fully electric and has a completely different atmosphere than in the early years.
Somewhere around 2010, the Ironwings arrived; a series of imposing iron dragon vehicles with their knights. We are currently busy upgrading these machines and giving them a new life. Then, in 2014, came the four Space Cruisers, our most “cheerful” act to date. Always fun to do. Always a great reaction from the audience.
In 2016, my son Peter and I created a new “steampunk” act: the Steamroadsters. A great success and now performed at many international festivals.
The so-called walk acts or parade acts that we perform are a regular feature at many festivals and events. Instead of a performance with a beginning and an end, we present a moving spectacle that surprises and amazes visitors. In between, the objects are publicly displayed, often creating spontaneous photo opportunities and engaging conversations with the audience.
Between the scenes, we’re always fantasizing and regularly working on new projects. Building often involves trial and error. Not everything works out the way you envisioned. Not everything is a success, and sometimes you just have to tear it down. You can always start over.
The creative process never stops.
Jan Wessels
PAGES
STEAMROADSTERS
IRONWINGS
TIMECRUISERS
WASTELANDERS
SPACECRUISER
EVENT HELI