The collection of short stories entitled Heavy Water and Other Stories by the British author Martin Amis was published at the end of the 1990s. Benjamin Verdonck could not put out of his mind the bizarre story, Let me Count the Times, about a man called Vernon who obsesses over onanism.
Together with musician Han Stubbe, Benjamin Verdonck systematically digs his way through the account of one man’s fixation.
Together with musician Han Stubbe, Benjamin Verdonck systematically digs his way through the account of one man’s fixation.
VERNON WAS A BUSINESS MAN.
HIS OFFICE CONTAINED SEVERA
ELECTRONIC CALCULATORS.
VERNON WOULD OFTEN RUN HIS MARITAL FREQUENCIES
THROUGH THESE SWIFT, EFFICIENT, AND IMPECCABLY DISCREET MACHINES. THEY ALWAYS RESPONDED BRIGHTLY WITH THE SAME ANSWER,
AS IF TO SAY,
’YES, VERNON, THAT’S HOW OFTEN YOU DO IT,’
OR
‘NO, VERNON, YOU DON’T DO IT ANY MORE OFTEN THAN THAT’.
VERNON WOULD SPEND WHOLE LUNCH-HOURS
CROOKED OVER THE CALCULATOR.
AND YET HE KNEW THAT ALL THESE FIGURES
WERE IN A SENSE APPROXIMATE:
ON, VERNON KNEW, VERNON KNEW.
HIS OFFICE CONTAINED SEVERA
ELECTRONIC CALCULATORS.
VERNON WOULD OFTEN RUN HIS MARITAL FREQUENCIES
THROUGH THESE SWIFT, EFFICIENT, AND IMPECCABLY DISCREET MACHINES. THEY ALWAYS RESPONDED BRIGHTLY WITH THE SAME ANSWER,
AS IF TO SAY,
’YES, VERNON, THAT’S HOW OFTEN YOU DO IT,’
OR
‘NO, VERNON, YOU DON’T DO IT ANY MORE OFTEN THAN THAT’.
VERNON WOULD SPEND WHOLE LUNCH-HOURS
CROOKED OVER THE CALCULATOR.
AND YET HE KNEW THAT ALL THESE FIGURES
WERE IN A SENSE APPROXIMATE:
ON, VERNON KNEW, VERNON KNEW.
by and with
- Han Stubbe
- Iwan Van Vlierberghe
- Benjamin Verdonck
production
- Toneelhuis
- KVS
