R3LN4CHT - No Matter What

Whatever happens

Somewhere near the toilets, a threatening confrontation takes place. In a stimulating mix of candid lyrics, energetic music and a grim setting, 2 friends seek the boundaries of their 'faggot friendship*': a very intimate friendship without hidden romantic feelings. What are the boundaries of intimacy now that love no longer plays a role?

No Matter What is a moving, theatrical love letter to your very best friend. The performance is an ode to toxic patterns, destructive forces and new forms of intimacy. – 'I wish I was your lover!'

How does that work?

Intimacy without love and/or sex, what's that like? In literature and films, queer friendships often revolve around a secret, unrequited love (think Call Me By Your Name, Brokeback Mountain, Saltburn ). What forms does intimacy take in a relationship where it doesn't play a role? To investigate this more broadly, the makers came up with the framework 'faggot friendship'. During the research, it became clear that there was little room for such platonic bonds within the current systems, which led to a portrait of a dystopian friendship with tangible socio-political undertones.

*R3LN4CHT acknowledges that 'faggot' is a provocative word that is used in a discriminatory way. This performance follows in the footsteps of a long history of creators, writers and individuals from the queer community; who have reclaimed the word as a slogan. The framing of the 'faggot friend' is a conscious choice that comes from the queerness of the creative team and the questions it raises.