CIE LES ROIS SINGES.
More from the man behind Variation sur lignes, more play with poles and gravity. A solo show, a struggle against the elements — and physics.
Au pied du mur is about a man and a wall; about sticks and barbed wire. Physical expression, a human caught in the midst of hard and sharp things designed to keep him away.
The man is being chased. He goes up the wall, and goes about some acrobatics with an extrusion from the wall. After a series imaginary struggles, he makes it down on the ground, where the poles are. But he's not in the clear yet.
We are once again studying the basics, making simple things difficult. Our intrepid wall-walker finds his way to the other side in the least straightforward manner. Grunts and vocal sighs of struggle serve as the sound track.
Having seen the sensual Variation, this wall play failed to attract any such interest. It started to rain hard in the middle of the show, and the performance suffered, but the sizeable audience rooted for the man, who carried on like the pro he is.
Drenched and losing grip on his sticks, our hero was determined to put up a show and seemingly improvised a devised dance sequence. Justly rewarded for this with grand applause and generous tips at curtain.
After the ground sequence, it was up the wall again, before the barbed wire did him in.
Weak narrative, but a third star for the admirable performer spirit.