ABOUT THE PERFORMANCE

Dopamine tells the story of a man who is consumed by the digital world and finds himself in an obscure nightmare where the boundaries between dream and reality blur. A place where gravity does not exist, and objects take on a life of their own. Through mesmerizing magic, the schizophrenia of this young man comes to life, pulling the audience into a world of addiction, loneliness, and the endless search for connection, desire, and love. The audience is greeted by a mysterious Madonna-like figure, reminiscent of a character from a Tim Burton film. She holds open a portal of midnight blue satin and invites the spectators into her world. There, they see a faceless figure sitting at a table. On the table lies a lifeless face and a smoldering cigarette. Slowly, the figure comes to life and puts his face back on.

The audience observes the performance up close—almost voyeuristically. For once, the spectator becomes the proverbial fly on the wall. This marks the beginning of a visual journey that paints a picture of the many anonymous lives behind closed doors.

This new piece blends illusionism and visual theater into a wordless experience designed to stimulate all the senses. Dopamine is performed by Dries Notelteirs and Tim Oelbrandt, offering an immersive theatrical event meant for big stages or large, darkened rooms. The design draws heavily from classical art, with references to Madonna figures and the Pietà, along with a staging inspired by *The Nightmare* by Johann Heinrich Füssli.

ABOUT TIM OELBRANDT

Tim Oelbrandt was already a well-known name in the underground magic circuit before breaking through to theater audience. In his enchanting performances, he masterfully combines magic, illusion and theater. His shown “Heen en Terug” and “Brain and freeze” were audience favorites. He is currently touring with “KIZUNA”. In addition, he works as a magic consultant for theater and television productions. Oelbrant is also the reigning Belgian Champion since October 2023 and won the award for “Most Original Act” at the FISM European Championship of Magic 2024. Dries Notelteirs graduated as an actor from RITCS in Brussels in 2018. He has performed in “Show” BRONKS, “Woestzoeker” (Theater Antigone & theater Artemis), and ” Do You Wanna Play” (KVS and Mars) among others. In 2021, he took his first steps as a writer and theater maker with the youth production “5 kilo pascal” (BRONKS & Spinrag Festival)