Lisaboa Houbrechts, after Hermann Hesse

SIDDHARTHA

“Dreams and restless thoughts came flowing to me from the waters of the river. More and more, I became aware that the love shown to me by others would not ultimately be able to make me completely happy, to give me the peace and serenity that I long for so much.” (Hermann Hesse, “Siddhartha”)

The Belgian director Lisaboa Houbrechts, often hailed as a sorceress of the stage, dissolves the boundary between music theatre and contemporary opera. A visible presence in today's European theatre landscape, she has taken to interpreting “Siddhartha”, a novel by Hermann Hesse, drawing audiences into a philosophical tale of the spiritual journey of a young Brahmin towards enlightenment in India, an exploration of self-knowledge, worldly doubt, and the pursuit of wisdom. The production is created in collaboration with Dailes Theatre, the award-winning Latvian Radio Choir, and conductor Kaspars Putniņš.

The director and concept artist Houbrechts reflects: “For me, the production Siddhartha is an exercise in selflessness. It is an attempt to detach yourself from your accomplishments and ambitions. To take a distance and open yourself up. Like the dervish who dances until he becomes hollow, a conduit between the earthly and the heavenly. But to achieve this, one must relinquish the self. In his search for his essence, Siddhartha has to continually bid farewell – farewell to his surroundings, his family, his friends, his guru and so forth, in order to be able to find the meaning, the solace and the beauty of life.”

Published in 1922, Hesse's novel recounts, in lucid and poetic prose, the spiritual odyssey of a young man set between the 7th and 5th centuries B.C. It is an allegorical tale of the search for the true self, which the protagonist paradoxically discovers only by entirely relinquishing his identity. The narrative unfolds through lived experience rather than doctrine, affirming that true enlightenment is found within – a profound challenge in a world driven by materiality, pleasure, and desire.

Bringing together artists from Belgium, Venezuela, the Netherlands, India, and Latvia, and collaborating with the American composer Caroline Shaw, the production is an ambitious, compelling, and timeless odyssey of a human being seeking reconnection with self and spirituality. Already heralded as a major European theatre event of the year, the production features Dailes Theatre actress Milēna Miškēviča, alongside the magnificent Latvian Radio Choir under the artistic direction of Kaspars Putniņš.

Following “Oracle” by Łukasz Twarkowski (2025), “Siddhartha” is the second Dailes Theatre production to have its world premiere at the prestigious Ruhrtriennale. The opening night is set for 10th  September, with Latvian and Baltic audiences scheduled to experience this landmark piece in three performances as early as October. Dailes Theatre is a co-producer of “Siddhartha”.

Production: Toneelhuis, KVS
Coproduction: Ruhrtriennale, Dailes Theatre, Internationaal Theater Amsterdam 
Executive producer: Toneelhuis
With the support of Riga Investment and Tourism Agency and the Tax Shelter of the Belgian Federal Government via Gallop Tax Shelter

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