LA VOIX HUMAINE

en Quarantaine

LA VOIX HUMAINE

La Voix Humaine en Quarantaine premiered on 2 July 2021 at the Royal Theatre of The Hague

OPERA2DAY, LEKS compagnie & Classical NOW presented a poignant and - because of the Covid pandemic - very topical solo by mezzo-soprano and performer Ekaterina Levental: La Voix Humaine en Quarantaine

Alone in her room a woman has a live video chat with her ex - the next day he is about to marry another woman. She is desperate and makes a last attempt to mend the rift between them. He is weak. He's lying. She knows that. Inevitably she heads towards the loss of her relationship.

Who could have imagined the predictive value in 1928, when French all-round artist Jean Cocteau wrote La voix humaine:: a timeless, ultimate farewell letter in the form of a telephone conversation. Composer Francis Poulenc adapted this intense stage monologue in 1959 into an opera in one act and since then the work graced the repertoire of many companies. A few years ago, Dutch music theater company LEKS compagnie developed La voix humaine - Facetime, a staging that adds a whole new dimension to this classic, namely the individual human being who becomes detached from society as a whole, in a dangerous game with ever-changing truths. The phone from the original version was replaced by a webcam.

OPERA2DAY asked LEKS compagnie to adapt their staging of La Voix Humaine to the current developments in the Covid-19 crisis, since it fits wonderfully well to this year of social distancing and quarantine. In this version, the text Spuug (Spit) by Jibbe Willems, which was specially written for corona times for Theatergroep Oostpool's video program Troostpool, was used as a prologue. This text about a young woman who yearns for her lover was performed on stage for the first time.

COPRODUCTION LEKS compagnie in collaboration with OPERA2DAY and Classical NOW!

ARTISTIC TEAM

Music Françis Poulenc (La Voix Humaine, version for soprano and piano)
Text La Voix Humaine Jean Cocteau
Text Spuug (Spit) Jibbe Willems (Theatergroep Oostpool, performed under the direction of Char Li Chung on the online Troostpool-video program)
Performer Ekaterina Levental
Concept, direction and scenography Chris Koolmees
Piano (soundtrack) Yoram Ish-Hurwitz
Piano recording Bert van Dijk

An earlier version was produced by LEKS compagnie in collaboration with the Oranjewoud Festival

No current calendar dates found for this production.

Friday 26 Feb 2021 - 21:00 HOUR

Schouwburg De Domijnen, Sittard


Addres: Ligne 2
City: 6131 MT Sittard
Phone: 088-5995600

Friday 26 Feb 2021 - 19:00 HOUR

Schouwburg De Domijnen, Sittard


Addres: Ligne 2
City: 6131 MT Sittard
Phone: 088-5995600

Tuesday 15 Dec 2020 - 19:00 HOUR

Stadsschouwburg Utrecht, Utrecht


Addres: Lucasbolwerk 24
City: 3512 EJ Utrecht
Phone: 030-23 02 023

Friday 03 Jul 2020 - 19:30 HOUR

Koninklijke Schouwburg, Den Haag

Koninklijke Schouwburg


Addres: Korte Voorhout 3
City: 2511 CW Den Haag
Phone: 088 356 5 356

Thursday 02 Jul 2020 - 19:30 HOUR

Koninklijke Schouwburg, Den Haag

Koninklijke Schouwburg


Addres: Korte Voorhout 3
City: 2511 CW Den Haag
Phone: 088 356 5 356

DURATION OF THE PERFORMANCE

Approximately 60 minutes

SUBTITLES

Sung in French with Dutch subtitles.

CORONA MEASURES

The performance was performed as permitted by the RIVM-guidelines: a limited number of spectators, placed 1.5 meters apart in the hall and special routes through the public areas.

OPENING NIGHT

2 juli 2020 The Hague

  • '

    What a lot one can express in a music theatrical way in only one hour, with only one woman on stage

    '
  • NRC
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