In 2019 Reinhilde Decleir brought her fellow actor Nico Sturm to Tutti Fratelli for the first time. The actor wrote and directed the performance for them The Invisibles† “That was a great experience,” says Nico Sturm. “I felt like a kid in a beautiful candy store. It was very inspiring and loving to work with the Fratelli. They are people who balance on the edge of society, people who in some cases have lost their self-esteem. But at the Fratelli, they get their voices back and are finally heard again. We made a great performance then.”
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When Sturm introduced himself to the party, he addressed them from a chair. “Not in a patronizing way, but in an honest and unconditional way. And after a while Reinhilde must have thought: ‘That’s exactly not shiny who might stay here a little longer.’”
It clicked with the Fratelli as it always clicked with Reinhilde. “We were two hands on one stomach,” says the actor. “Reina was quick to say that we should ‘clap’. We made plans. The intention was that I would assist her and relieve her from time to time, so that in the longer term, when Reinhilde was about 100 years old, I could let the ship continue sailing. Unfortunately it went much faster. When it became clear how sick she was, she asked me to continue. And Reinhilde is hard to refuse. She convinced me that I could. That ship is so beautifully built, it won’t just run aground. She has completely plotted the line for the following years.”
ALSO READ. PORTRAIT. Reinhilde Decleir: the strict Antwerp actress who went against the government of Wilmès
In 2019 Reinilde Decleir invited Nico Sturm to Tutti Fratelli for the performance De Onzichtbaren. — © Jeroen Hanselaer
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Tribute to Reina
The process at Tutti Fratelli does not necessarily differ from that of theater companies with professional actors, Sturm believes. “There is just as much discipline, we rehearse just as hard and the language is just as important. The process does take longer because we mainly rehearse in the evenings. But this is also how we ultimately arrive at a fully-fledged artistic performance. It’s not occupational therapy.”
The past few months have not been easy. “We still hoped that Reinilde would be okay and in the meantime continued to work hard,” says Sturm. “Making a beautiful performance is the best way to honor Reina. At the table we will express our sorrow, afterwards we will start the rehearsals again with discipline. They also give us stability and support. Going on September 30 De Störm premiere. Frans, one of our most experienced actors, will play the part that Tom Lanoye had originally written for Reinhilde himself.”
ALSO READ. Flanders says goodbye to Reinhilde Decleir: “The ‘grande dame’ of theater and Flemish film”
In her last interview with the Gazet, Decleir testified how difficult it was to make ends meet with Tutti Fratelli. “The latest Tutti Fratelli subsidy file has been provisionally approved,” says Nico Sturm. “We are not getting the amount we asked for. Let’s hope that all the people in politics who now praise her artistic talent and social commitment, ensure that our operation can run a little more comfortably. The final decision will be made in June. We hope that the Flemish Community and the city of Antwerp will take their responsibility.”
Tutti Fratelli’s own building in Lange Gasthuisstraat is partly closed. Buildings at the neighbors have caused large cracks in the foyer and the hall and they will remain closed for renovation for at least a year and a half. “Fortunately, we can still use the front of the building. There are desks and we can still eat together before rehearsals. For the rehearsals themselves, we move to Het Paleis and TriArte, the former Real Antwerp Theater. They are both within walking distance.”
Sturm herself, like Reinhilde Decleir, will also remain active elsewhere in the theater and on screen. “Now it all seems like a lot, but from experience I know that too storm will lie down.”
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