Brief synopsis
“Magdalena” transports you to twentieth-century Ireland, where disobedient girls, known as “fallen women” were dumped in institutions and forced under appalling conditions to do laundry for days on end. In those institutions the Sisters carried out a reign of terror. The last institution did not close until 1996.
In the musical we follow the story of three girls, sent to a Magdalene Laundry by their parents. Rose, Sarah and Emma end up at the Sisters of Charity for three different reasons. What follows is a sketch of what life was like in one of the laundries, and it’s not exactly a rose-tinted view.
It was not until 2013 that the Irish government apologised to the girls officially and commissioned an investigation into the abuses that took place in the laundries. However, it turns out that many of the investigation’s findings were neither subjective** nor correct because the government itself was involved in the scandal.
Creatives
| Direction: | Rudi Giron |
| Script and lyrics: | Wanne Synnave |
| Music: | Sam Verhoeven |
| Arrangements: | Thomas Vanhauwaert |
| Choreography: | Matthew Michel & Baptiste Vuylsteke |
Productions
“Magdalena” was the first collaboration between Wanne Synnave and Sam Verhoeven, and it premièred on 1 March 2018 in the Zuiderpershuis in Antwerpen.
The musical received unanimous praise. The leading roles were played by An Lauwereins, Dieter Troubleyn and Lien Van den Bossche, among others.
A completely reworked version of this musical will premiere at De Blikfabriek in Antwerp in April 2024, starring Ann Van den Broeck and Ivan Pecnik, among others.
