Gilgamesh is the first written epic in our history. Its first version, inscribed on clay tablets, dates back to three thousand years before Christ. The hero of the story, Gilgamesh, revolted by the death of his friend, wants to acquire immortality. His voyage to the land of the gods is a terrifying journey, and on his return he comes not with eternal life, but with wisdom. This prodigious tale from Mesopotamia, from pre-biblical times that describes the adventure of humanity, is being presented in its entirety at Avignon this year by Pascal Rambert who echoes the central cry of the story - how can we make life less inconsistent ? The reverberations of the wars and wanderings of our own time find a natural place in a performance that the director thought of during the Gulf War in 1990-1991, and as a reaction to that conflict. He has brought together actors from three different countries, speaking three different languages: Syrians, Americans and French actors. Consequently, after three separate stages of work in Damascus, New York and Marseille, the performers bring forward a reconciliation between enemies and make the songs of violence and peace that have been sung since time immemorial their own, and that were written by unknown story-tellers, guiding us through our modern darkness.
Distribution
Stage direction Pascal Rambert
Integral ninivite version translated from Akkadian
French version by Raymond Jacques Tournay and Aaron Shaffer
English version by John Gardner and John Maier
Arabic version by Firas Sawwa'h
Assistant director Olivier Derousseau
Visuals and textiles Fred Condom
Lighting Pierre Leblanc
Cast Amal Omran, Ramzi Choukair, Jamal Choukair, Hala Omran, Mohamad Al Rachi, Vincent Morano, Kate Moran, Abi Lev, Kirk Marcoe Marianne Amy, Joana Preiss, Celine Pitavy Christophe Lichtenauer, Gilles Groppo
Production
Coproduction Compagnie Side One-Posthume Théâtre, CDN/Orléans-Loiret-Centre, Festival d'Avignon.
Avec le soutien de l'AFAA, du service culturel de l'Ambassade de France aux Etats-Unis (New York), du Centre culturel français de Damas (Syrie), l'ANPE-Spectacle, l'École régionale d'Acteurs de Cannes (direction Jacques Mornas et Didier Abadie), ODACE, Urvan Letroiga
Avec la participation de la Caisse centrale d'Activités sociales du personnel EDF/GDF
Avec le concours de la Société Sennheiser et de l'Adami
Remerciements à Fanny Aubert-Malaurie, Rania Bdewi, Robert Biller, Nicole Bloom, Graziella Bourbon, Isabelle Cornille, Nadia Croquet, Anna Défendini, Jérôme Descamps, Yves Dupouy, Naïla El Atrach, Béatrice Ellis, Sakher Farzat, Elisabeth Ferri, Phillipe Foulquié, Florence Francisco, Didier Fusillier, Phillipe Georgais, Jean-Pierre Giannechini, Valérie Jalabis, Kevin Kuhlke, Nuno Nunes, Olivier Py, Marie Raymond, Thierry Sebban, Alexis Tadié, Agnès Troly, Mesdames Moralès, Friggi, Laurent, Messieurs Bernardini, Job, Occhipenti, Ravel et à Lou
Et aussi L'Association [1&1], le CROUSS, l'Experimental Theater Wing (New York University), La Friche-Belle de Mai, l'ISTS, l'Institut syrien d'Art dramatique de Damas, le Théâtre Nanterre-Amandiers