In-I, Tandem project between France and the United Kingdom
- from: 19.11.2008
- to: 29.11.2008
- In: Théâtre de la Ville, Paris
Duo Juliette Binoche/Akram Khan
agenda
From November 19th to 29th, 2008 (closed on 24th)
Practical
Théâtre de la Ville, Paris
"Juliette Binoche and Akram Khan. What a combination! It was undoubtedly a lucky intuition along with the fortunate intervention of chance which brought these two together. They are bold enough to carve a path into the unknown, guided by the force of their interest in another being. She had never danced on stage before, he hadn't acted since his experience in Brook's Mahabharata. She, the French actress, character painter, filled with a radiating grace and serene intelligence, who allows emotion to blossom in the mischievous quivering of an enigma tinged with passion. He, the British dancer and choreographer of Bangladeshi origin, who weaves Kathak tradition and the abstract lines of a dizzyingly fast choreographic writing. His powerful, martial movements cut through the air in caresses as precise as they are delicate. As for the dancing - which is elegant without any flourishes or affectation - it masters technique to the point of admitting flashes of poetry*. Together they therefore make an exceptional duo, set off by the imagination of stage designer Anish Kapoor. Together they search on the edges of the visible and the invisible, unearthing notions of ascension, questioning the outlines of life. "I admire her ability to tell stories as much through her silences and stillness as through words. The first time we were together in the studio, I felt lost. And it was marvelous, because we had to discover new roads, which didn't exist yet on our maps," says Akram Khan. Inside I: that is the objective of this quest into the unknown hidden deep within oneself ."
Gwénola David (Théâtre de la Ville's 2008/2009 brochure)
* The Théâtre de la Ville has been working with Akram Khan since 2002.
Staged and performed by: Juliette Binoche and Akram Khan
Set design: Anish Kapoor
Lighting: Michael Hulls
Music: Philip Sheppard
Script: Guy Cools
Producer: Farooq Chaudhry
Produced by: Khan Chaudhry Productions
FINANCIAL PARTNERS:
Co-produced by Fondation d'Entreprise Hermès, National Theatre London - Théâtre de la Ville, Paris - Romaeuropa - Grand Théâtre du Luxembourg - La Monnaie, Bruxelles - Sydney Opera House.
Sponsors: Société Générale Banque Privée,
with support from the Bell Cohen Charitable Trust, the Théâtre de l'Ouest Parisien-Boulogne Billancourt, Cultures France and the Arts Council England.
- Updated: 21.11.2008
