// Thomas & Hendrik are artists from PARTIE //
Thomas and Hendrik both studied at the Maastricht Academy of Dramatic Arts. They write, create and perform together on a sporadic basis. In their performances, their characters often lose themselves in endless chatter. Speaking itself becomes an incredibly complex activity. Now and then, something essential comes to the surface, because that cosmos of words contains immense hidden beauty. In this way, Thomas and Hendrik seek to elevate chit-chat to an artform. In 2023, they created the wordy, philosophical comedy TSJIK TSJAK WHAM, which arose out of the artistic development scheme Eigen Kweek.
Thomas Claessens (Belgium, 1990) graduated from the acting programme at the Maastricht Academy of Dramatic Arts in 2019, having previously studied fundamental mathematics and theatre and film studies at the University of Antwerp. Together with Romy Moons, he is one half of the duo STEL, which is named after their debut performance (Theater Aan Zee, 2021). In October 2023, they premiered Life Actually, a romcom about the romcom. In addition to performing and making, Thomas explores how DIY technology can be given a role in theatre. For his own work and that of others, he designs contraptions that are more complicated than they seem.
Hendrik Kegels (Belgium, 1996) graduated from the performance department of the Maastricht Academy of Dramatic Arts in 2018. His work is rooted in the world of childlike wonder. With his performances, he sets out to evoke memories of this world in the viewer, inviting the audience to believe in the improbable. His shows have been performed at venues including Het Paleis, Bronks, Frascati, Theater Artemis, STIP and Feikes Huis. Hendrik is a member of the theatre collective Plankton together with Sonja van Ojen. In 2020, they won the BNG Bank Theatre Award at the Nederlands Theater Festival with the show Om de hoek woont een struik (‘Around the corner there lives a bush’). In 2023, he was once again nominated for the BNG Bank Theatre Prize with the performance NIETES (a collaboration with Kim Karssen) and won a Silver Cricket, the award for most impressive stage performance in youth theatre.
TSJIK TSJAK WHAM will be reprised in the 2024–2025 season.