In light of what should have been the fiftieth anniversary of the Roe vs. Wade (1973) case, Simon(e) van Saarloos wrote Fetus Heaven, in collaboration with Ulrike Quade Company. The performance tells the story of non-binary Freddie (Naomi Grant) who enters a world in which the terms abortion, violence and life get a new meaning.

How does it feel to end up in a different world, and to find out you may not really belong on earth? That as a non-binary person of color you find out that you should have been aborted? Our protagonist Freddie in Fetus Heaven, starts doubting about his identity and is confronted with the binarity of human existence: man or woman, black or white, left or right, pro-life or pro-choice. How would the world look if we detached from these dualities?

Following the success of the Bellevue Lunch Theater performances Mahler & Kokoschka and Lady Into Fox, director Ulrike Quade, in close collaboration with Carly Everaert, turns Fetus Heaven into a visual performance about transformation, self-determination, and the potential of life and death The performance combines imagery, spoken word, and many digital elements (motion capture, robotics, and 3D projection) into an experience that inspires and confronts.

Simon(e) van Saarloos drew inspiration from feminist ideology as well as activist key figures from the past, including philosopher Sophie Lewis. With music by composer OTION, costume design by Carly Everaert and performer Naomi Grant as protagonist, Fetus Heaven is brought to life in a wonderful yet powerful way. Thus, Fetus Heaven is a performance that redefines the concept of abortion. How can we broaden our perspective on creating and ending life?