Borgia
Contemporary comedy
Borgia
Contemporary comedy
Text by Thomas Gunzig
Directed by Jean-Michel d’Hoop
A show by Point Zéro in coproduction and l’Atelier Théâtre Jean Vilar
Ah … Family… With all its small and big secrets, tensions, with bonds stronger than anything.
From this both universal and intimate theme, Jean-Michel d’Hoop continues his exploration in this piece using life size puppets.
After the success of The Ventriloquist’s School in 2009 and Three Old Maids in 2011, the Brussels-based company is back with Borgia, a contemporary come dy. As with the previous creations, this new show is about humor and cruelty, and involves actors and Natacha Belova‘s grotesque, freaky lifesize puppets, whose faces waver between disturbing realism and caricature.
As often in theatre, appearances can be deceptive. It’s not a show about the Borgia Family, but a comedy playing with the ghosts of all family histories. With the humorous writing of Thomas Gunzig, the family theme becomes one of fairy tales and legends. It is full of mythical characters, secrets and mysteries, playrooms where laughter explodes like popcorn, with walls full of ears, half truths and big lies. In short, a myriad of dream like elements.
The images made by the film animation artist Yoann Stehr, and the haunting music of Pierre Jacqmin emphasise the fantastic atmosphere, and gives the show a extraordinary visual and musical dimension.
Cast
With Cyril Briant, Sébastien Chollet, Bruce Ellison, Pierre Jacqmin (Live Music), Emmanuelle Mathieu, Héloïse Meire, Fabrice Rodriguez, Anne Romain, Coralie Vanderlinden, Isabelle Wéry. Costumes and puppets Natacha Belova. Set design Aurélie Deloche et Jean-Michel d’Hoop. Music Pierre Jacqmin. Film animation Yoann Stehr. Director of photography Robin Montrau. Fight choreography Emilie Guillaume. Technical direction and light Benoit Ausloos. Production manager Catherine Ansay.
Press review
“… A wealth of succeeded visual and sound effects. The puppets are a wonderful metaphor of the family mishmash : we don’t really know who manipulates who in this Gordian knot of secrets, lies and hidden tabous.
The wonderful videos by Yoann Stehr give a punk dimension to this amazing story and the actors give without stint. Jean-Michel d’Hoop shoots ideas like a machine gun. The set design transforms quickly, the actors are like transformist magicians, and master the absurd very well”.
Le Soir, Catherine Makereel (29/04/2015)
“Jean-Michel d’Hoop’s directing is vibrant, Thomas Gunzig’s text is direct, eloquent, accessible, true, human. Pierre Jacqmin’s music is roaming and film animation by Yoann Stehr simply wonderful !”
Les Feux de la Rampe, Roger Simons (17/03/2015)
“Natacha Belova created again very expressive puppets, which give to the show an emotionnal, magical and poetic dimension. Borgia, contemporary comedy transports us in a dreamlike journey, deliberately blurred, as our memories, magnified or distorted by time”.
Plaisir d’offrir, Muriel Hubert (17/01/2015)
“A little girl, a grandmother but also a baby, a « small head » and other incredibly expressive and poetic puppets mingle with the actors. A show full of magic.”
La Libre Belgique, Camille de Marcilly (10/01/2015)
A show by Point Zéro in coproduction with l’Atelier Théâtre Jean Vilar, le Théâtre de Liège and le Festival Mondial des Théâtres de Marionnettes. With the support of La Fédération Wallonie-Bruxelles, Services du Théâtre.
CONTACT
Tel +32 (0)2 608 74 89
Rue du labeur 1 - 1070 Bruxelles
Technical directors
Loïc Le Foll
llf.loic@gmail.com