in french, with greek surtitles 20:30, main stage duration: 80'
Directed by Joël Pommerat
Artistic associate: Philipe Carbonneaux
Lighting: Eric Soyer, with the help of Renaud Fouquet
Sets: Eric Soyer
Costumes: Isabelle Deffin
Sound: François Leymarie
Sound research: Yann Priest
Music: Antonin Leymarie
Constructions: Thomas Ramon – A travers Champs
Video: Renaud Rubiano
With: Eric Forterre, Ludovic Molière, Hervé Blanc, Jean-Claude Perrin, Patrick Bebi
“The history of commerce is the history of mankind”, or so Joël Pommerat seems to be telling us in his latest production, which presents us with two stories playing out in two different eras. In the first, we find ourselves in the 1960s with four experienced salesmen trying to initiate a young idealist into the tricks of the trade. Influenced by the ideals of May ’68, the youngster refuses to accept the laws of the market, but is driven to the verge of suicide when he is forced to choose between being unemployed or being unethical. In the second story, which is set forty years later in the early 21st century, the one-time idealist has metamorphosed into an all-powerful businessman and his four former trainers, bankrupt and unmanned by the labour market, ask for his help.
Pommerat’s profoundly humanistic theatre uses the parable as a device for talking about the end of ideology and the hegemony of capitalism, about solidarity and the limits of morality. His work seems to pose a timely rhetorical question: ultimately, might it be our very existence that we’re all trading in?
Production: Compagnie Louis Brouillard
Co-production: Comédie de Béthune / Centre Dramatique National Nord Pas-de-Calais, Béthune 2011 – Capitale régionale de la Culture, Sainte-Maxime / Le Carré, Théâtre de l’Union / Centre Dramatique National du Limousin, Saint-Valéry en Caux / Le Rayon Vert, Théâtre d’Arles / Scène conventionnée pour des écritures d’aujourd’hui, Théâtre d’Evreux / Scène nationale Evreux Louviers, CNCDC – Centre National de création et de diffusions culturelles de Châteauvallon, Le Parvis – Scène nationale Tarbes Pyrénées, Le Granit / Scène nationale de Belfort avec le soutien la Coupe d’Or, scène conventionnée de Rochefort
TICKETS Ticket Prices: 15 – 18 – 28 €, Concs 10 - 12 - 15 € "Onassis Cultural Centre" Parking www.sgt.gr
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