In Italy, in the 17th Century, Galileo pointed a telescope to the sky, made the earth move, and shattered the crystal in which Ptolemy had sealed Man's reason and imagination. He shook the principles of dramatic art and the Church, and made his actors' heads whirl. The Inquisition forced him to deny his theories without being able to prevent him from working secretly on his opus, I Discorsi. Brecht, in a poem of epic dimensions with a structure like a suite of variations, places on stage a chorus of men and women fascinated and terrified by the irresistible face of reason bidding them to relinquish what they think they know (the earth is not the centre of the universe), and Galileo, regaling in thought, both a Faust and a Falstaff, implacably turned towards the people, to offer them - with the art of doubt - the freedom to consider the power of the Church and the movements of the universe in a different way. The Life of Galileo is a fable about the games played by reason and imagination, and the confusion which can result. For us, it is important to seize the confusion of this self-portrait adapting Galileo to fit his own shape in order to talk about "his life in art" and the ambiguity of is own relationship with authority. And to read in Galileo's obstinate gaze towards the sky, that of Brecht searching for the unexplored regions of theatre which he has yet to invent.
Jean-François Sivadier
Distribution
translation Éloi Recoing
stage direction Jean-François Sivadier
cast: Nicolas Bouchaud, Stephen Butel, Aurélie Du Boys, Éric Guérin, Christophe Ratandra, Jean-François Sivadier, Christian Tirole, Nadia Vonderheyden, Dominique Brillault
artistic collaboration : Nicolas Bouchaud, Véronique Timsit, Nadia Vonderheyden
assistant director : Véronique Timsit
stage design : Christian Tirole, Jean-François Sivadier
accessoires : Christian Tirole, Dominique Brillault, Yann Chollet
costumes : Virginie Gervaise
lighting : Philippe Berthomé
assisted by : Ronan Cahoreau-Gallier
sound : Stéphane Rio
Production
Production déléguée : Théâtre national de Bretagne - Rennes
Coproduction : Le Maillon-Théâtre de Strasbourg , La Halle aux Grains-Scène nationale Blois, La Rose des Vents-Villeneuve d'Ascq, Italienne avec Orchestre
Avec le soutien de : l'ADAMI et de la Drac Ile-de-France
Texte publié aux éditions de : l'Arche