French drama raises the curtain in Barcelona
This exhibition will take place in various venues in the city from 1 to 12 February
Catalonia and France are two countries that are physically so close, yet so divergent at the theatrical level: this is a situation that may be upturned by Oui!, Festival de T(h)eatre en Français, Barcelona’s first French language drama festival, which is scheduled to take place at various venues in the city from 1 to 12 February. Among the venues are places like Institut del Teatre, Institut Francès, Sala Beckett and Almeria Teatre, with a total of twelve shows that share a common aim of showcasing different textual and stage approaches arising from the most innovative French theatre.
The plays to be staged include contemporary classics by the likes of Bernard-Marie Koltès and feature talents like Jérémie Sonntag. All of the registers have their place here, from comedy and poetry to symbolic drama. Mathilde Mottier and François Vila are responsible for the project, which also includes dramatised readings. And for those who are not au fait with the language of Molière, most of the plays are delivered with subtitles.
Among the highlights are Lichen-Man, a fable that tells the story of a superhero with a superego and The Shaggs, a comedy about the worst band in the history of rock. It’s worth noting that the playwright Sontag has two plays on the billboard in Barcelona at present: La nuit juste avant les forêts, which is part of the festival at Institute del Teatre and En la solitud dels camps de cotó at TNC.
Additional information is available from the Festival de T(h)eatre en Français website.