News Story
James Thierrée made his theatrical debut as a walking suitcase.
Surprising? Not really. He was four years old, with an artistic lineage including Victoria Chaplin (his mother), Charlie Chaplin (his grandfather) and Eugene O’Neill (his great grandfather). 'Walking suitcase' was at the mild end of the scale. Before long, the teenage James was working with the likes of Peter Greenaway and Robert Wilson.
Acrobat, poet, clown, magician; James Thierrée is a captivating performer with a unique theatrical vision.
…a theatrical magician who has always skipped nimbly along the tightrope between circus, dance and theatre.The Guardian
In his twenties, Thierrée founded his own theatre company, La Compagnie du Hanneton, with which he has created five full-scale productions to date. La Veillée des Abysses, Au revoir parapluie, Raoul, Tabac rouge and La grenouille avait raison all have in common a kind of surreal whimsy. All call on the extraordinarily physical skill of the performers to tell shadowy stories and draw out complex themes.
Thierrée’s latest creation, La grenouille avait raison (The Toad Knew – not a direct translation) brings together dancers, contortionists, high-wire artists and Thierrée’s own physical prowess in an exploration of family.
This is the first time James Thierrée has visited the Edinburgh International Festival, and we look forward to welcoming his profound and inventive form of physical theatre to our city!
Image Credit:
The Toad Knew © Mihaela Bodlovic