Johanny Bert - Théâtre de Romette (France)

Both a concert and a musical narrative, HEN is accompanied by two electro-acoustic musicians playing original creations on stage, freely takes its roots in Berlin’s 1930s cabaret era as well as in the contemporary queer performance scene, off-the wall cabaret channeling the dreams of Björk or the wisps of smoke of Brigitte Fontaine.

Neither transvestite, nor transsexual, nor transgender, Hen metamorphoses according to his/her desires, with humour and insolence, claiming the right to live outside the norms.

The project references a community which has been discriminated against, as well as old quarrels, unfortunately still valid politically and artistically. When searching for identity, or seeking absolute answers, HEN is perhaps an out-of-the-ordinary character, one not seeking either definition or norms. The character is multiple, transformable.

HEN is a Swedish pronoun which entered their dictionary in 2015 and designates a person who is neither male or female. It is often used in scholastic manuals working with less discriminatory pedagogy.

This creation is the result of research, labs dealing with questions of identity and gender, facing off against research on the origins of subversive puppet theatre.

Campaigning for a less discriminatory society, HEN asserts his/her intimate journey, sexual difference, freedom to exist and the range of identities that make up his/her humanity.

^{"HEN is a masterpiece, a high-heeled hit to the old world." - Amélie Blaustein Niddam, Toute La Culture}

^{"Driven by the smooth and the velvet voice of its creator Johanny Bert, this puppet (...) goes beyond genres, transgresses codes. Attention, favorite! - Olivier Fregaville-Gratian d'Amore, L'Oeil d'Olivier}

^{"History repeats itself: it is cyclical, sometimes we have to fight again for rights that we thought we had acquired and yet we also have to move forward, claim others, invent, propose. That's exactly what Johanny Bert and his technical and artistic did with great art." - Hervé Ponse, Les Inrockuptibles}

BIO

Johanny Bert is an actor, a puppeteer and a director. Through his artistic journey he has developed a unique theatrical language, a confrontation between an actor, an object and the puppetry form. Each creation is a new research, from contemporary texts (commissions, unpublished texts or repertoire texts) or from a visual universe built as a team on stage. He founded the company Théâtre de Romette in 2000, an experimental space for creation. 
Between 2012 and 2015, Bert directed the Centre Dramatique National de Montluçon – Le Fracas, after which he decided to return to stage direction. From September 2018 Johanny Bert started a new association with Le Bateau Feu - Scène Nationale Dunquerque.

_CREDITS

_{Concept and direction: Johanny Bert Puppeteers: Johanny Bert (voice of HEN), Anthony Diaz Live Musicians and arrangements: Guillaume Bongiraud (electro-acoustic cello), Cyrille Froger (percussionist) Collaboration in the direction: Cécile Vitrant Songs authorship: Marie Nimier, Prunella Rivière, Gwendoline Soublin, Laurent Madiot, Alexis Morel, Pierre Notte, Yumma Ornelle and a cover by Brigitte Fontaine Puppets: Eduardo Felix Lifting HEN: Laurent Huet Vocal work: Anne Fischer Dramaturgy: Olivia Burton Lighting design: Johanny Bert, Gilles Richard Sound design: Frédéric Dutertre, Simon Muller Costumes: Pétronille Salomé, assisted by Romain Fazi, Carole Vigné Internships (costumes): Lune Forestier, Solène Legrand, Marie Oudot Manipulation assistance: Faustine Lancel Technical direction and light: Gilles Richard Sound operation: Simon Muller Scenography construction: Fabrice Coudert, assistido por Eui-Suk Cho Photography: Christophe Raynaud de Lage Administration, production, diffusion: Mathieu Hilléreau, Les Indépendances Production assistance: Thomas Degroïde Production: Théâtre de Romette Coproduction: Le Bateau Feu - Scène Nationale Dunkerque, La 2Deuche – Lempdes Partners: La Cour des Trois Coquins - Scène Vivante de Clermont-Ferrand, Le Mouffetard - Théâtre des Arts de la Marionnette à Paris, Le Carreau du Temple à Paris - Accueil studio. O Théâtre de Romette is located in Clermont-Ferrand, in Cour des Trois Coquins - Scène Vivante and is associated to la Maison des Arts du Léman de Thonon-Evian-Publier. The company is subsidized by DRAC Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes, Région Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes and the Ville de Clermont-Ferrand. Johanny Bert is associated artist to Le Bateau Feu - Scène Nationale de Dunkerque and accomplice artist to Théâtre de la Croix-Rousse – Lyon}