The magic of the Avignon Festival
Avignon Festival, photo © Christophe Raynaud de Lage / Festival d’Avignon
See the Festival d’Avignon, one of the biggest theatre festivals in Europe, as a concentrated version of the Edinburgh festival - everything happens within the old city's walls - with affordable tickets, no rain and the delightful sound of crickets as a natural soundtrack.
In the past, courageous English-speaking audiences with little knowledge of French had to revel in the beauty of the venues or leave at the interval to enjoy a pastis in the joyful streets of Avignon. However, for the first time since its creation in 1943, Portuguese-born artistic director Tiago Rodriguez is proud to announce that the IN Festival 2023 will provide English sur-titles, like in the opera, on most of its shows.
So it is time to check the IN programme online: it offers 50 plays, most of them new creations, carefully chosen for their relevance to our times and openness to the world's diversity. Be ready for surprising works as the Festival prides itself on its risk-taking and interdisciplinary approach. Tiago Rodriguez passionately defends art and culture as a tool for social cohesion - a way to be together for a shared experience, especially after the Covid years. And this year, in response to Brexit, he has invited British artists, Tim Crouch, Forced Entertainment Tim Etchells, Royal Court Associates Sam Pritchard and Vicky Featherstone, and writer-director Alexander Zeldin to feature in his programme.
For our leisure, Tiago Rodriguez mentions that all the plays in the IN start after siesta time. They are all staged in historical places of astonishing beauty (cloisters, courtyards, churches), in unconventional venues (schools, gymnasiums…), and even in nature with a promenade performance by Clara Hedouin based on Jean Giono’s Joy of Man's Desiring.
Boulbon Quarry, one of the most stunning venues of the Festival - © Christophe Raynaud de Lage / Festival d’Avignon
A perfect day as a festival-goer could start with a dance show (En Attendant by Anne Teresa de Keersmaeker or Groove by Bitou Dembele), moving on to a new play, Confessions, written by up-and-coming director Alexander Zeldin and ending up with a devised performance in a quarry (Le Jardin des Délices by Philippe Quesne) at the Carriere de Boulbon.
And as the best thing about theatre is the talk after the play, we recommend checking the “Bar du IN” which has been re-christened The Mahabharata in honour of the late director Peter Brook. This bar was always famous for its empty pool and its strict bouncer, but Tiago Rodriguez, in a renewed democratic effort, will let it open to everyone from 6.30 to 9.30 pm. That is where you can meet all artists after their shows, drink cocktails and listen to bands in the open air. “If you are in, you are in until the bar closes, " says Tiago with a smile, "the festival has to be a long summer party”.
One last thing before embarking to the South: summers are getting hotter and hotter in the walled city. Just wear your Panama hat when you step on the Eurostar in St Pancras.
The Festival of Avignon is two festivals that run simultaneously, the official “IN“and the independent “OFF, presenting 1000 plays in small black box studios spread all over the city.
Going to the OFF festival offers more freedom: you can improvise your day, and buy a ticket to any play, from a classic to a family show, as you walk through the city, following your inspiration.
The IN programme
The OFF programme
5-25 July 2023
Avignon and surroundings, France
Marianne Badrichani
In the past, courageous English-speaking audiences with little knowledge of French had to revel in the beauty of the venues or leave at the interval to enjoy a pastis in the joyful streets of Avignon. However, for the first time since its creation in 1943, Portuguese-born artistic director Tiago Rodriguez is proud to announce that the IN Festival 2023 will provide English sur-titles, like in the opera, on most of its shows.
So it is time to check the IN programme online: it offers 50 plays, most of them new creations, carefully chosen for their relevance to our times and openness to the world's diversity. Be ready for surprising works as the Festival prides itself on its risk-taking and interdisciplinary approach. Tiago Rodriguez passionately defends art and culture as a tool for social cohesion - a way to be together for a shared experience, especially after the Covid years. And this year, in response to Brexit, he has invited British artists, Tim Crouch, Forced Entertainment Tim Etchells, Royal Court Associates Sam Pritchard and Vicky Featherstone, and writer-director Alexander Zeldin to feature in his programme.
For our leisure, Tiago Rodriguez mentions that all the plays in the IN start after siesta time. They are all staged in historical places of astonishing beauty (cloisters, courtyards, churches), in unconventional venues (schools, gymnasiums…), and even in nature with a promenade performance by Clara Hedouin based on Jean Giono’s Joy of Man's Desiring.
Boulbon Quarry, one of the most stunning venues of the Festival - © Christophe Raynaud de Lage / Festival d’Avignon
A perfect day as a festival-goer could start with a dance show (En Attendant by Anne Teresa de Keersmaeker or Groove by Bitou Dembele), moving on to a new play, Confessions, written by up-and-coming director Alexander Zeldin and ending up with a devised performance in a quarry (Le Jardin des Délices by Philippe Quesne) at the Carriere de Boulbon.
And as the best thing about theatre is the talk after the play, we recommend checking the “Bar du IN” which has been re-christened The Mahabharata in honour of the late director Peter Brook. This bar was always famous for its empty pool and its strict bouncer, but Tiago Rodriguez, in a renewed democratic effort, will let it open to everyone from 6.30 to 9.30 pm. That is where you can meet all artists after their shows, drink cocktails and listen to bands in the open air. “If you are in, you are in until the bar closes, " says Tiago with a smile, "the festival has to be a long summer party”.
One last thing before embarking to the South: summers are getting hotter and hotter in the walled city. Just wear your Panama hat when you step on the Eurostar in St Pancras.
The Festival of Avignon is two festivals that run simultaneously, the official “IN“and the independent “OFF, presenting 1000 plays in small black box studios spread all over the city.
Going to the OFF festival offers more freedom: you can improvise your day, and buy a ticket to any play, from a classic to a family show, as you walk through the city, following your inspiration.
The IN programme
The OFF programme
5-25 July 2023
Avignon and surroundings, France
Marianne Badrichani
TRY CULTURE WHISPER
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