“An act of universal humanity”: IIPM in Paris, Zurich, Valencia

 

“AN ODE TO FAILURE”
THE INTERROGATION LANDS IN PARIS

 

The enthusiasm was great when, after a delay of almost a year, „The Interrogation“ by Édouard Louis and Milo Rau celebrated its premiere in Amsterdam last March. „A particularly captivating performance“, even „a triumph“ saw the Belgian critic Johan Thielemans, while his Dutch colleague Sander Janssens summed up the piece like this: „The Interrogation is both a fundamental ode to failure and a rehabilitation of failure.“

 

This Wednesday, May 18, „The Interrogation“ will celebrate its French premiere at the National Theatre La Colline, performed by NTGent Global Ensemble actor Arne de Tremerie. The Paris showcase – also including Rau’s film “The New Gospel” – opens tonight with a public conversation on art and politics between playwright Wajdi Mouawad, director Krzystof Warlikowski and Milo Rau himself.

 

For some of the performance dates are still remaining tickets available. And for those who no longer get a ticket in Paris: On May 30, on the occasion of the season presentation 22/23, Louis’, Rau’s and De Tremerie’s joint performance will finally return home to NTGent!

 

Professionals

 

“AN ACT OF HUMANITY”
TELL IN ZURICH

 

Currently being shown at the Schauspielhaus Zurich is Milo Rau’s adaptation of the Swiss national play „William Tell”, staged with 20 actors and Swiss citizens. “Rau pulls out all the stops of his art”, wrote the weekly newspaper Die Zeit, Blick saw “the stage event of the year”. But the play divides the press like hardly any of Rau’s works before. While some critics saw „a deeply touching production, an act of universal humanity“ (Süddeutsche Zeitung), a “sovereign and smart” (Tagesanzeiger) and „masterful“ (RTS) work of art, other voices were much more negative.

 

Swiss radio SRF, for example, saw „too much zeitgeist“ and Deutschlandfunk “too little Friedrich Schiller”. But it was the right-wing newspaper Die Weltwoche that passed the harshest judgment on Rau’s „Tell“ which features, among others, a disability rights activist, a former forced laborer, the symbolic marriage of a sans papier and an anti-facist shaman: “Milo Rau seems to have found his destiny as the theatre’s chief integration and inclusion officer.”

 

Make up your own mind and visit one of the upcoming performances of “William Tell”. And for those who can’t make it to Zurich: In June, Swiss television will broadcast an in-depth documentary on the making-of „William Tell“ (directed by Julia Bendlin).

 

Shows

 

NEWS

 

  • New books a. o. about Milo Rau’s esthetics of Global Realism: “Das Große Beginnergefühl” and “Neues Welttheater

  • Ferox Tempus”, “One Song” & “Reporters de Guerre”: new work by NTGent artists Lua Casella, Miet Warlop & Sébastien Foucault

  • Register now: a workshop on Rau’s artistic research methods

  • “A cleansing storm”: “Breivik’s Statement” in Valencia

  • “The urgency of creating”: Yoel Gamzou, Yoeri Albrecht & Milo Rau in discussion