Les ombres portées: NATCHAV (FRA) – SAMPO Festival

Combining shadow theater and live music, Natchav is the story of a circus that defies all rules, including the law of gravity, in order to be free.

In the darkness of the early morning, the Natchav circus arrives to town. Its caravan of trailers and lorries take their place in the central square. The sledge gang begins its concert of steady blows, pounding the first stakes into the ground; the sound of the immense canvas whips through the air as the tent poles are hoisted to the sky.

Suddenly, out of concern for security, the authorities order the circus to leave, forcing them onto a vacant lot in the outskirts of town. Following a scuffle, one of the acrobats is arrested and jailed for contempt and rebellion. So, the circus troupe, along with the other prisoners, decide to carry out a spectacular escape, one full of ingenuity and twists and turns...

Through an extraordinary play of shadow and light, Natchav (go away, run away in Romani) recounts a story in which, on the margins of society, two fundamentally opposed worlds mingle — that of the circus and of the prison.

It is a story of intrigue that unfolds through a dynamic scenography. With no spoken dialogue, the visuals and music generated and performed live guide the narration, creating an original and provocative composition between reality and fantasy.

Duration: 60 min
Age recommendation: 8+
Language: nonverbal

Tickets: 29 € / 19 €
Tickets from Nukketeatteri Sampo.
Reservations and inquires: nukketeatterisampo.fi/esityskalenteri, phone 020 735 2235, email [email protected]

Idea and design: Les ombres portées
Puppets and lights: Erol Gülgönen, Marion Lefebvre, Christophe Pagnon, Claire Van Zande
Music and sound effects: Séline Gülgönen (clarinet), Simon Plane (trumpet, tuba, accordion, percussion)
Lighting: Nicolas Dalban-Moreynas
Sound: Yaniz Mango
Costumes: Zoé Caugant
Touring: Claire Van Zande

Margot Chamberlin helped build the puppets and performed with us until 2023.
With help from: Léo Maurel (sound effect machines), Baptiste Bouquin (outside ear), Jean-Yves Pénafiel (outside eye)

Also thanks to: Francine Benotman, Jacques Bouault, Stéphane Revelant, Elsa Vanzande

We dedicate this show to Olivier Cueto, a cherished member of the company who passed away in March 2020. He imagined, created and performed this show with us until the very end.