METALMOUTH Ode To The Tantrum
METALMOUTH: ode to the tantrum
Pure rage comes from small bodies that fight to be big. Frustration brews in the space between being too small for the adult world and having emotions too big for one’s body. Kicking, screaming, rapid eruptions—these clear the air and allow us to start again. Only when emotions have boiled over and doors have been slammed can we look up again.
The space between generations is turbulent and needs to be navigated. Children struggle to express themselves, their voices raw and urgent, while adults reach for order, control, and understanding. When adults listen, do they truly hear?
In this performance we trace this collision of worlds, where voices rise and fall – sometimes shouting, sometimes whispering – revealing the storms of youth and the anxieties of those who try to guide them. Moments of connection shimmer briefly before the fog of anger returns, leaving both sides adrift. METALMOUTH invites the audience to witness the complex dance of growing up, expressing, and connecting.
Composition Archie Tulk
Stage direction and libretto Elze van Houtum
Dramaturgy Jonna Wikström
Scenography Mette Klein, Sarah van Elsberg
Production Jip Baltussen, Juliette Moonen
Conductor Tanya Markovska
Soloist Katrine Sjøboden
Soprano Dārta Liepina
Mezzosoprano Eve Rhodes
Tenor Dinis Rodrigues
Baritone Mantas Jarasunas
Violin Carlos Lazarte Vasquez
Viola I Amanda Adamczyk
Viola II Sofia Chatzi
Cello Pippa Drijver
Bass guitar Nirita Yakthumba
Saxophone Pavica Žamić
Flute Ana Raquael
Percussion Tirso Ortiz
The concept of the Carousel
Five short operas by a new generation of makers
The Carousel presents five new short operas, created and performed by a new generation of artists with their own voice. Five teams of arts students explore and question the human experience: the sense of being small in a big world, wanting to fly while you’re stuck on the ground, feeling trapped in a spiral that seems to spin faster by the day. In these fundamental human issues, the many extremes of identity come to the surface. Each team explores this its own way, at the same time unravelling assumptions about what opera can or cannot be.
The operas are created and performed by students of production, directing and set design (Academy of Theatre and Dance, Amsterdam), composition (Conservatorium van Amsterdam, the Royal Conservatoire The Hague and Codarts Rotterdam), and the master’s programme in dramaturgy (University of Amsterdam).
Pictures by Robert van der Ree
Premier in Dutch National Opera 25.3. 2026