This Basque theatre company, which creates shows for family audiences, is tackling a non-gestural production for the first time. It speaks to us about fear and the limitations we often impose on this feeling.
This story, with a magic spell for a title, is based on a tale written by Jokin Oregi. He created the Marie de Jongh, a theatre company which came to the Grec in 2016 with Amour and again in 2019 with Estrella. This year, they are doing something they have never done before: turning the text into an essential element for telling the story of a little girl who is afraid of witches but who discovers, when she grows up, that those women people feared so much are not how they imagined. A woman, a girl and a dancer will tell a story designed to show kids and the grown-ups accompanying them how fears paralyse us and exercise an unwanted power over some of the decisions we take. The show also refers to aspects of ourselves that sometimes make us uncomfortable, yet they are still part of our life and personality. The three actresses are responsible for making sure the audience get the message by interacting with them. What are adults afraid of? Be ready to give your answer, because you might be asked a question like this before or after being presented with a spider that has extraordinary vertical dancing skills. A story of witches with no witches, children who are not that young and adults who are more child-like than you might think...
This is the new production from a company set up in 2008 to tell stories, usually without any text, and which describes itself as a “children’s theatre company for adults and an adult theatre for children”. The Marie de Jongh company, regarded as a reference point for family theatre, was awarded the National Stage Arts Award for Children and Young People by the Ministry of Education, Culture and Sports in 2018, and among many other awards, the Max for best children’s or family show in 2017 for Amour.
A 2020 Barcelona Grec Festival and Maria de Jongh co-production.
A show for audiences aged 7 and over (although younger children can see it too)
Author and director: Jokin Oregi Performed by: Ana Meabe / Aiora Sedano, Maitane Sarralde, Amets Ibarra Music: Adrián García de los Ojos Scenography: Ikerne Giménez Costumes: Rosa Solé Costume design: Nati Ortiz de Zárate Lighting design: Javier Garcia Kandela Stage design: Collider Film Solutions. Koop Atrezzo: Javi Tirado Effects: Joseba Uribarri Poster design: Ane Pikaza Executive producer: Pio Ortiz de Pinedo Production assistant: Nagore Navarro Photography: Pio Ortiz de Pinedo
