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Cie Non Nova: Immoral Tales Part 1 – Mother House

LIFT 2020

— ,Barbican Theatre
French artist Phia Ménard, who plays Athena stands atop a destroyed cardboard structure surrounded by smoke. Photo by Jean-Luc Beaujault

Part sci-fi punk, part warrior, Athena spares no effort in building a new Parthenon only to be thwarted by a deluge in this amazingly poetic, highly physical performance without words. 

Using just scotch tape and poles, our heroic builder painstakingly assembles a pile of cardboard, stabilising the rickety structure and shaping it with a chainsaw until a European landmark emerges. But as soon as the temple is complete, a foreboding cloud appears on the horizon, leaving us with stark images of creation and destruction. 

French artist Phia Ménard, who plays Athena, developed Immoral Tales Part 1 – Mother House in response to the Greek financial crisis, refugees being housed in tents and turbulent changes across Europe. Showing how quickly something can collapse, there are visions of a society facing ruin in this tension-filled, visually arresting show.  

Tagged with: Theatre & dance Inside Out New Theatre and Dance shows

1 hour 30 mins, no interval
Age guidance 12+

There is no spoken dialogue in this piece 

Post-show talk, Wed 17 Jun
Free to same-day ticket holders

No performance on Thu 18 Jun

Co-presented by the Barbican and LIFT. Produced by Compagnie Non Nova. Co-produced by documenta 14 – Kassel and Le Carré, Scène nationale et Centre d’Art contemporain du Château-Gontier. This production is supported by Institut français du Royaume Uni.

Creative team

  • Phia Ménard and Jean-Luc Beaujault   Stage Direction and Dramaturgy
  • Phia Ménard   Design
  • Ivan Roussel   Music and Sound Space
  • Fabrice Ilia Leroy   Costumes
  • Claire Massonnet   Co-Director

Cancelled

Following Government advice on Monday 16 March and to protect the safety of audiences, artists and workforce, LIFT announced on Friday 20 March that it cannot proceed with the festival at this time and therefore unfortunately performances of Immoral Tales Part 1 – Mother House by Cie Non Nova which were scheduled to take place between 16 – 20 June 2020 in the Barbican Theatre are sadly cancelled. The Barbican Box Office will be in contact with bookers about refunds in the coming weeks.

Reviews

  • ‘Somewhere between choregraphy and art installation. This slow-moving tableaux dwarfs any human presence, leaving audiences with enigmatic, elemental images.‘
    The New York Times
  • ‘A performance of rare quality‘
    Libération (France)
  • ‘Powerful symbolic force‘
    Scene Web (France)

Barbican Theatre

Location
The Barbican Theatre is located within the main Barbican building. Head to Level G and follow the signs to find your seating level. 

Address
Barbican Centre
Silk Street, London
EC2Y 8DS

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