Philippe Ménard is a renowned juggler who started his juggling career in 1991 and worked with the world-famous Jérôme Thomas Company (Hic Hoc, Banquet), before creating his own company, Compagnie Non Nova in 1996. He has also collaborated with the Eclats, Nomades and Carcara companies.
He first performed in Trafó in January 2003, presenting his piece ’Ascenseur’ (Elevator) with great success. He is now returning to present ’Zapptime’ and to prove that after the traditional and slightly boring juggler acts, it is possible to re-create juggling as a separate genre. Philippe Ménard regards the reality of everyday life with all its mishaps and dead ends as the main source of inspiration. His newest performance, ’Zapptime’ created in 2003 can therefore be considered a peculiar mosaic of our everyday activities. Philippe Ménard and Franck Tenot have a constant (juggling) dialogue going on between them, composed of short, sketch-like scenes, circus acts, video and film projection, commercial bits, photos and theatrical details that flash by in front of our eyes. The audience is invited to enjoy a performance that plays with the borders between illusion and reality. One has the sensation of switching from one television channel to the other, witnessing very different scenes, but without control over the abrupt changes.
’Zapptime’ is not conventional circus or performance, instead it can be considered a very unique form of artistical expression that is more like a collection of poems or aphorisms. It presents a variety of notions, conjuring up very different atmospheres with the help of theater, dance and music elements, using innovative techniques to creating something new. Each part is no longer than 6 minutes and each exists independently without being linked to others in time and content. Their purpose is not to portray reality or create any kind of narrative, instead they examine how the juggler’s role has changed with the passing of time.
“Zapptime is the accumulation of brief scenes perpetually changing subject. The audience is hence faced with a kaleidoscope of events and they don’t know where they’re going to end up. Once again the demand is that the audience questions their knowledge of the juggler and his action. The shape of the show wishes to get closer to an act that has become an everyday feature of life: zapping.”(Philippe Ménard)
www.cienonnova.com
Artistic director, author: Philippe MENARD Created and performed by: Philippe MENARD and Franck TENOT Directed by: Hélène NINEROLA and Philippe MENARD Music: Ivan ROUSSEL Light design: Sylvain TROVALLET Costume design: Philippe MENARD/ Hélène NINEROLA with the collaboration of Patricia BUCK Dramaturgy: Franck TENOT Set design: Florent GAUTHIER (Guyttion) Video (direction-montage): Philippe DEVILLIERS and Patrice BROCHARD
Co-production: Parc de la Villette – Résidence d’Artistes, Le Carré – Scéne Nationale de Château Gontier. The production was created with the help of DMDTS, DRAC des Pays de la Loire, Ville de Nantes, Conseil Général de Loire-Atlantique, Conseil Régional des Pays de la Loire.
Supported by: THV – St Barthélémy d’Anjou, Nouveau Théâtre d’Angers, le Théâtre Universitaire – Nantes, le Théâtre du Grand Logis – Bruz
