Wapens - Firma Mes

Theater en toneel

In Weaponswe follow Raya and Iris. A young couple, pregnant with their first child. They make the calculation that many young couples make: one of them has to work more. Raya earns more, especially when she is promoted in a rapidly growing sector: the defense industry. Iris, primary school teacher, believes in building, not fighting. But, as they explain on birthdays: Raya works for a good cause. She lobbies for Dutch arms contracts and sees weapons as a necessary means to enforce peace, if they are in the right hands.

As Raya becomes absorbed in her work, she joins larger meetings, takes on more responsibility and notices how her moral language is used to sell dubious deals. At home the discomfort is growing. Iris sees her partner change and feels left out. What started as a joint choice becomes a divisive issue.

Based on current journalistic research, the performance sheds light on a hidden world: the Dutch arms industry. We show the mechanisms of political influence and economic justification, but also how language, ideals and loyalty can shift. How love tries to survive between spreadsheets and moral noise.