Milo Rau's La Reprise – History/ies of theatre (I) is another expression of the German-speaking Swiss director's desire to explore what the theatre can do when faced with reality. The product of collective work following a shockingly violent true story (the murder of a gay man in Liège in 2012 by four young men), it is for Milo Rau a way to tell the origins of a modern tragedy. And he challenges the audience about the representation of this tragedy, and the questions it asks: How to bring a victim to life on the stage? How to tackle History head on? How to represent violence on the stage? What is emotion, truth, presence, artistic engagement? With this deep, intense show, Milo Rau tries to use those questions to define the essence of the theatre as art: to use reality as a source, not to imitate it on the stage, but for the performance to “become real,” and lead to true catharsis.
Milo Rau
Born in 1977 in Switzerland, Milo Rau has spent the past fifteen years creating performative plays with his production company, International Institute of Political Murder. Whether he is talking about the downfall of the Ceaucescus, of the Rwandan genocide, of the war in the Congo, or of the Dutroux affair, he always turns the stage into a place of experimentation and exploration, which reflects his constant desire to confront the real and to consider the time of the performance as catharsis. He has recently been appointed director of the Ghent National Theatre, starting with the 2018/2019 season.
Distribution
With Tom Adjibi, Sara De Bosschere, Suzy Cocco, Sébastien Foucault, Fabian Leenders, Johan Leysen
Conception, and direction Milo Rau
Text Milo Rau, écriture collective
Dramaturgy Eva-Maria Bertschy, Stefan Bläske, Carmen Hornbostel
Stage design and costumes Anton Lukas
Lights Jurgen Kolb
Video Maxime Jennes, Dimitri Petrovic
Production
Production International Institute of Political Murder,
Théâtre national Wallonie-Bruxelles
Coproduction Kunstenfestivaldesarts, NTGent, Théâtre Vidy-Lausanne, Théâtre Nanterre-Amandiers, Tandem Scène nationale d'Arras-Douai, Schaubühne am Lehniner Platz Berlin, Théâtre de Liège, Münchner Kammerspiele, Künstlerhaus Mousonturm Frankfurt a. M., Theater Chur, Gessnerallee Zürich, Romaeuropa Festival
With the supoprt of Hauptstadtkulturfonds Berlin, Ernst Göhner Stiftung, Kanton St. Gallen, Onda et pour la 72e édition du Festival d'Avignon : Pro Helvetia fondation suisse pour la culture
With the help of des Ateliers du Théâtre National Wallonie-Bruxelles pour la fabrication des décors et costumes et de l'Esact Liège
In partnership with France Médias Monde