Capra (Une Chèvre) - Theatre Gerard Philipe, St Denis

Why make theatre? To answer this question, director Jeanne Candel draws inspiration from two sources. One is mythological: it is linked to the story of Dionysus and the Western origins of theatre and the mask. The other concerns an ancient memorisation technique, based on places and images, which consisted of creating memory palaces to mentally store different types of memories and narratives. Over the centuries, this method has endured to remember, to transmit stories, or to resist in the face of horror.

By evoking the myth of Dionysus or the story of François Le Lionnais, who survived the hell of a concentration camp by recalling paintings seen at the Louvre, the show celebrates the power of the mind, humanism, and friendship.

With her wonderful team of performers and musicians, Jeanne Candel brings to life the emotional movements of a small village hall, navigating between mirage and visible technique. This continues a work begun with Baùbo and Fusées: the group enjoys making events appear while showing us the ropes. The interaction between acting and music is central.

Under the musical direction of Thibault Perriard, composite instruments are invented, drawing inspiration from a wide variety of references. CAPRA (une chèvre) responds to the desire to create theatre from its most elementary mechanisms, manipulated by virtuoso artists, to give rise to powerful emotions. In this story, both dark and luminous, the power of imagination unfolds, allowing the human soul, in the worst moments of barbarity, to find the necessary resources to survive.