The official website of the Avignon Festival states that the play “La Distance” (“The Distance”) is scheduled to be performed nearly every day from July 5 to July 26.
The play is set in the year 2077, when the Earth’s inhabitants face precarious conditions due to global warming. In this chaotic world, Tiago Rodrigues examines the potential for communication between a father and his daughter who have relocated to Mars, according to the synopsis.
Last year, Tiago Rodrigues announced that the 79th Avignon Festival would feature the Arabic language as a guest and that Cape Verdean choreographer Marlene Monteiro Freitas would be the ‘associated artist.’
Marlene Monteiro Freitas is set to debut “NÔT,” supported by the Madeira-based company Dançando com a Diferença. This is a co-production between the Avignon Festival and numerous other European entities, including Culturgest in Lisbon and Teatro Municipal do Porto.
“NÔT” draws inspiration from “The Thousand and One Nights,” a cornerstone of Arabic literature, which Marlene Monteiro Freitas views as an exercise in survival.
“Translating the flow of words into gestures, the choreographer adds an infinite night,” the synopsis of the performance reads.
In addition to Marlene Monteiro Freitas, Swiss director Milo Rau had been announced earlier to present “La Lettre” at the festival.
According to the synopsis, in “La Lettre,” drawing from the family stories of young artists, Milo Rau explores events that alter the course of a life, crafting a manifesto on what popular theater can be today.
Belgian choreographer Anne Teresa De Keersmaeker will present “Brel” for the first time in France. This performance was created with promising French dancer and choreographer Solal Mariotte, where both interpret Jacques Brel’s songs in an intense duo inspired by the poetry, gestures, and expressiveness of the Belgian artist.
The festival will include a tribute to Gisèle Pelicot, a French woman drugged with anxiolytics by her husband for several years and raped by dozens of strangers recruited online while she was unconscious.
“Le Procès Pelicot” (“The Pelicot Trial”), scheduled for July 18, comprises a “night of readings about the case of Gisèle Pelicot to recount the story of this historic process, symbolizing the trivialization of rape and violence against women.”
The program for the 79th Avignon Festival also features the presentation of the show “Coin Operated” by choreographers and dancers Jonas&Lander. This performance premiered in 2019 in Lisbon as part of BoCA — Biennale of Contemporary Arts.
“Halfway between installation and performance, Jonas&Lander, mounted on mechanical horses, create an unpredictable and interactive show that denounces animal exploitation, amidst stampedes and clowning,” the synopsis of “Coin Operated” states.
In 2019, the creators placed two static coin-operated motor horses at the National Coach Museum, seating themselves on them and inviting the audience to insert coins to make the horses move.
The performance included various segments, such as singing, dancing, speeches or dissertations accompanied by guitar, or a group suddenly entering the space to dance in pairs to a slow dance.
On July 13, there will be a “projection and meeting” with Portuguese director Pedro Costa, offering the public a chance to discover the unique work of a pivotal figure in contemporary cinema.
Portuguese musician and producer Branko will headline the closing concert for the 79th Avignon Festival on July 26.
Cape Verdean singer Mayra Andrade will perform “reEncanto,” a concert of voice and guitar, emphasizing an “intimate register.” This was first presented at the end of 2022, with performances in several countries including the Netherlands, France, Portugal, Spain, Turkey, and Switzerland.
In her performance, Mayra Andrade is accompanied only by Cape Verdean musician Djodje Almeida, inviting the audience to “rediscover the origin and essence of some songs from her discography–from ‘Navega’ (2006), featuring ‘Comme s’il en pleuvait’ and ‘Dimokránsa’, to ‘Manga’ (2019), which includes ‘Afeto’ and ‘Segredu.'”
The festival’s schedule also includes performances by Mette Ingvartsen, who appeared at Culturgest this year, Tunisian-origin choreographer Mohamed Toukabri, Moroccan Bouchra Ouizguen, and Mohamed El Khatib and Israel Galván. Additionally, it will feature a tribute to Egyptian singer Oum Kalthoum, who passed away 50 years ago, and theater by François Tanguy (1958-2022) from Théâtre du Radeau, Paul Claudel (1868-1955) by Éric Ruf and the Comédie Française, as well as works by Aurélie Charon, Clara Hédouin, Gwenaël Morin, Mario Banushi, Thomas Ostermeier, and Palestinian dramatists, producers, and directors Bashar Murkus and Khulood Basel.
