sirènes

cie 52 hertz

from 10 to 12 october – 8.30 pm

24
25
theater performance

Imagine a vivarium in which three sirens are shown to the gaze of the zoo’s visitors. During this journey, we ask ourselves: What does this hybrid being – half-woman, half-animal – tell us today? How do we escape the moral constructs handed down to us by myths? What do we do with our fictional heritage? Playing with the codes of the zoo and sea-lion shows, Hélène Bertrand, Margaux Desailly and Blanche Ripoche create a veritable stage vivarium, offering us a host of experiences to dissect the myth of the siren.

They have fun with nudity in all its banality, stripped of its sensuality, and they challenge our representations of the feminine and the wild by offering us a sensitive experience based on our collective memory and the stories that have shaped us. In a sweeping visual ballet virtually devoid of words, they stir our imaginations with a strong dose of humour.

biography

‘52 Hertz is a company made up of three actors/directors from Rennes: Hélène Bertrand, Margaux Desailly and Blanche Ripoche.

52 Hertz is the name of an individual whale whose high-pitched call cannot be heard by other whales. Receiving no response, it roams the ocean depths alone. Hybrid or dyslexic, never seen by the human species, we know of its existence only through its call. 52 Hertz is a mystery whose echo captures the imagination. It represents what escapes us, what cannot be pigeonholed or grasped.

In search of new narratives, we explore hybrid art forms. Combining aesthetic concerns and experiences, we try to challenge the imagination through sensory experiences.

We met at the Conservatoire of Rennes in 2011 and went on to study at three different schools: Hélène at ESTU in Limoges, Margaux at the Comédie de Saint-Étienne, and Blanche at the TNS in Strasbourg. Back in Rennes, while working on other acting projects, we formed the company 52 Hertz, using acting, improvisation and clowning as a source of inspiration. Sirènes is our first show.’

Cie 52 Hertz

distribution and crédits

Writing, direction and acting: Hélène Bertrand, Margaux Desailly, Blanche Ripoche
Set and costume design: Heidi Folliet and Léa Gadbois-Lamer
Lighting: Alice Gill-khan
Sound: Sarah Munro
Artistic collaboration: Edwin Halter
Production : Compagnie 52 Hertz.
Coproduction : TNB – Centre Européen de Création Théâtrale et Chorégraphique (Rennes, Fr), Théâtre l’Aire libre – Centre de Production des Paroles Contemporaines (Saint- Jacques-de-la-Lande, Fr), Théâtre de Poche (Hédé-Bazouges, Fr), Théâtre Gérard Philipe, centre dramatique national de Saint-Denis (Fr), Nouveau Théâtre de Montreuil – CDN (Fr)
Producion support : Ministère de la Culture – DRAC de Bretagne.
This show benefits from support from the Théâtre de Lorient – CDN for Breton theatre companies and residency assistance from the City of Rennes Métropole.
Partner: Théâtre du Cercle (Rennes, Fr)

Sirènes is supported by the network R.O.M (Residencies On the Move) in the framework of the Creative Europe of European Union.