di 20 januari 2026

Theater – Speels Collectief

LOVE ME BY THE HOUR

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From quick encounters and pure desire to special long nights and intimate relationships. What makes the relationship between sex worker and client unique? Based on the experiences of sex workers and their clients, the performance LOVE ME BY THE HOUR unfolds a much broader picture of sex work.

About the performance LOVE ME BY THE HOUR

Beyond the cliché of the red light, this musical movement performance shines a spotlight on paid intimacy in all its forms. Without shame, but with an open mind and flushed cheeks. We make space for the stories of people for whom intimacy is a matter of supply and demand – for whatever reason. The performance is an ode to their experiences, to the humanity and complexity behind the profession, and to the power of self-representation.

It sounds like a twisted fairy tale: the woman who needs to be rescued and the dirty client. Yet this image still dominates the way we think about sex work. Because of the taboo and the lack of genuine representation, we rarely hear the voices of those who are actually part of it. Their reality turns out to be far richer and more layered than the stereotype suggests – and cannot be captured in a single story.

English surtitels and with sign language interpreter

The performance includes English surtitles. The performance is also translated into Dutch Sign Language by interpreter Erika Zeegers.

Exhibition

In addition to the performance, there is an accompanying exhibition with three components:

The work of subjectification (2021): an audio installation by artist Pennie Key. This work documents masculinity in a non-judgmental way, based on her observations and experiences. Key explores power dynamics, sexuality, and gender, inspired by her background in martial arts and sex work.

Photo exhibition by Reimagining Sex Work: a series of images that portray the lives of sex workers in order to counter stereotypical representations. Reimagining Sex Work is a feminist collective of sex workers, researchers, and scholars.

Educational Table: a table with informational materials about sex work.

  • Director Otto Calmeijer Meijburg
  • Choreographer Ulrike Doszmann
  • Scenographers Pleun Verhees en Sjaan Hofstede
  • Artistic Director Sanne Arbouw
  • Website Speels Collectief
  • Duration +- 90 minuten

About Speels Collectief

Speels Collectief is a diverse, mixed-abled theatre company that questions the norm and embraces the uncon­ven­ti­onal. We create theatre from the unique possi­bi­li­ties and impos­si­bi­li­ties of each individual, offering a stage to people who are often under­re­pre­sented. In doing so, we contribute to changing perceptions around inclusion and parti­ci­pa­tion. By placing diverse perspec­tives side by side, we aim both to challenge the norm and to expand oppor­tu­ni­ties for our performers to take part in the cultural world.

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