© Daniel Robin
© Pierre Soissons
© Daniel Robin
© Daniel Robin
© Jean-Pierre Estournet
© Jean-Pierre Estournet
first performed 2015

Presentation

The painting of the Raft of the Medusa is a political and social manifesto. It is also the metaphor that Barthélemy Bompard has chosen to address the fact that our “democrapitalist” ship has run aground.

It is night-time, with the sound of buses, horns blasting and cars braking. In the midst of this vast human sea of a frenzied city we see six characters, as raw as meat, as acidic as stale sweat and as strange as the misfortune of others … all swaying between excess and decline. This is a modern parable, with all its obscene debauchery. A bleak farce, with the reigning mentality of ‘every man for himself’ finally bursting into climax. Cloaked in a whirl of bleak colours, these chickens, cockerels, ducks and other hybrids from the high farmyard embark on a pictorial orgy that leads them to drink, eat, climax and finally explode.
Dissolved in the coarse salt of their own excesses, and carried away by the backwash of clashing worlds, as if caught up in a horrific seaquake, they find themselves lost and adrift in the middle of the seventh continent. They rock to-and-fro to the sound of experimental music, vocal effects and the rustle of plastic carrier bags rubbing together… Abandon-prayers-hysteria-tears-cries for help-finding one’s place-hope-prostration-balance-imbalance-hallucinations-cannibalism-joy-madness-fear … the horizon is no longer at their feet, on the solid tarmac of action and appearances, but rather facing the wind of their inmost depths.
There is a minutely fine, infinite line between madness and solitude.

Distribution

A show by Barthélemy Bompard | with the assistance of Nicolas Quilliard | artistic direction Barthélemy Bompard | with the assistance of Judith Thiébaut pour les chorégraphies | with the assistance of Jean-Pierre Charron pour le travail vocal et sonore | created and performed by Armelle Bérengier, Dominique Bettenfeld, Eric Blouet, Thérèse Bosc, Jean-Pierre Charron, Céline Damiron & Nicolas Quilliard | musical creation Laurent Bigot, avec la participation d’Olivier Noureux au tuba | costume designer Marie-Cécile Winling | costume realisation Marie-Cécile Winling et Catherine Sardi | set designer Dominique Moysan | set construction Dominique Moysan, Laurent Desflèches | light Djamel Djerboua | sound Nicolas Gendreau

Arts promotion and financial aids

Arts promotion and financial aids Atelier 231 | C.N.A.R. à Sotteville-lès-Rouen, Le Boulon | C.N.A.R à Vieux-Condé, Le Citron Jaune | C.N.A.R. à Port-Saint-Louis, La D.G.C.A, Lieux Publics | Centre national de création à Marseille, Le Moulin Fondu | C.N.A.R. à Noisy-le-Sec, La Paperie | C.N.A.R. à Saint-Barthélemy d’Anjou, Le Parapluie | Centre international de création artistique à Aurillac, Pronomade(s) en Haute-Garonne | C.N.A.R. à Encausse-les-Thermes, Quelques p’Arts… Scène Rhône-Alpes | C.N.A.R à Boulieu-lès-Annonay

Pictures

Video

Video of “Naufrage ” – 6’12
2015 – Christina Firmino / ITEM