Photo: Julian Maiwald
Productions
At Ulrike Quade Company, we create visual theatre that pushes the boundaries of the possible. Our performances are not simply fictional; they are deeply rooted in reality and enriched by scientific research. This makes our work more relevant and meaningful than pure fantasy.
Collaborating with various universities and disciplines, such as humanities at Utrecht University and robotics at Delft University of Technology, allows us to integrate different perspectives. We combine the insights from these disciplines with our own artistic research and the free thinking that characterises the arts.
Our theatre combines (puppet) play with music, dance, literature and scene design. We use traditional Bunraku puppet plays as well as hyper-realistic puppets, robots and digital cyborgs.
By intertwining puppetry with modern technology, we constantly seek new forms. We draw inspiration from myths and stories of the past to unravel the ‘now’ and explore and shape the future.
"In my performances, I show that nothing is what it seems, and that we should always question that which is self-evident"
Our stories, like that of Prometheus, are meant to explain the world and offer comfort, insights and hope. We see the era of coexistence with technology as a hopeful one.
Ulrike Quade Company’s productions outline possible futures and create illusions that briefly touch the core of human desire. These moments of magic trigger other stories and associations, bringing you back to yourself and making you reflect on what you think. Hopefully, our performances will make you feel you can give direction to the life you want to lead.
Spotlight
Eternal life in the digital age
“How will you miss me when I’m gone?”
Roman & ELIZA explores technology as a tool for grief, challenging us to think about loss, memory and our deep-seated desire for human connection.
The performance is inspired by the world’s first chatbot, ELIZA, and the true story of Roman Mazurenko. After Roman’s death, his partner Charly uploads messages and photos to ELIZA, using AI to create an avatar of Roman and seemingly reconnect with him. Together they reconstruct memories to discover what has them both haunted.
Agenda
11 – 14 februari 2026, Highlight Delft Festival
A theatrical exploration of humanity and technology, in which SPOT the robot challenges us to reflect on the impact of machines on our future.
Premiere 20 March 2026, CC Amstel
“How will you miss me when I’m gone?” Roman & ELIZA explores technology as a tool for grief, challenging us to reflect on loss, memory, and our deep-seated longing for human connection.
Expected in 2027
We are currently continuing to develop Orito into a full-scale opera that will premiere in 2028.
Productions A-Z
Explore our archive: Ulrike Quade Company’s ongoing, sustained documentation of artistic methods, collaborations, and discoveries. Discover twenty years of interdisciplinary processes involving technology, robots, puppets, and physical theater. Inspiration for students and creators of the future.
Photo: Urska Boljkovac
‘Puppets and technology can be thought of as opposites, tradition versus innovation, but they are not so fundamentally different. AI, holograms and robots, are basically just blank canvases, animated objects, that come to life.’
– Ulrike Quade
