Les Antliaclastes (France)

Batrachomyomachia or the Battle of the Frogs and Mice is a comic epic, or a parody of the Iliad, commonly attributed to Homer, although other authors have been proposed. The very word Batramyomachya ended up becoming a term to describe a silly altercation, such as the expression 'a storm in a teacup'.

A frog plays banjo and his mouse-wife sings the satirical poem, while they manipulate puppets and miniature landscapes. Despite the age-old rivalry between frogs and mice, our couple manage to resolve their seemingly endless bitter conflict by getting married, as the popular Anglo-American song explains, 'Froggy Went a Courtin'.

Combining numerous puppet manipulation techniques and live music, Batrachomyomachia is a tribute to the oral traditions of Greek satirical drama and American folk songs.

In 2021, at FIMFA, we saw the richness of Patrick Sims' imagery in Ambregris and his wonderful string Pinocchio. His puppets are built from animal bones, wood, iron or fabric, with techniques linked to automatons, taxidermy or sculpture.

_{"The privileged spectators who had the good idea of attending the show Batrachomyomachia (...), thought they were in a room with the latest Imax laser technology. However, this is a puppet theatre that tells the story of a fierce war between frogs and mice, at a time when the god Zeus and his daughter, the goddess of war Athena, regulated human and animal passions...
The puppet theatre built by the company is infinitely mouldable and houses unsuspected resources, such as a screen that allows the shadow puppets to tell numerous warlike episodes opposing the batrachians and the small rodents, with a ferocity and a realism between sadism and hilarious black humour. The technical prowess of the puppeteers are breathtaking (...)." - Midi Libre}

_{"Frogs and mice in an unusual show (...). The staging, by Patrick Sims, is an artistic feat. Between puppet manipulations, miniature landscapes and live music, the company embarks the audience in an eccentric universe, full of humour and colour." - La Montagne}

BIO

The company Les Antliaclastes is under the direction of Patrick Sims. Les Antliaclastes use a unique blend of puppetry techniques and styles, masks, machines, and original organic soundtracks, bringing together artists and technicians from the United States, Germany, England, Ireland and France.
Patrick Sims (b.1975, Vermont USA) has been working on puppetry since 1994. He first became involved with puppets whilst studying film and animation at Middlebury College, USA. He has worked with Bread and Puppet Theatre, studied shadow puppetry in Java, and pursued a Phd at Trinity College Dublin with a thesis on the ‘Pataphysics of the Puppet, Alfred Jarry and the inhuman performer'. For five years he was the artistic director, writer, puppet-maker and puppeteer for Buchinger’s Boot Marionettes, that participated in FIMFA in 2008. Patrick with Les Antliaclastes is engaged with several projects, including film, theatre, installations, music, and a multimedia electronic opera.

He amazed the audience with his singular imagery in the show La Valse des Hommelettes, presented at FIMFA Lx18 in the National Theatre, and also in 2021, with Ambregris, which tells the story of Pinocchio in the whale's belly.

_CREDITS

_{Direction, scenography, puppets: Patrick Sims Masks, puppets: Joséphine Biereye Costumes: Camille Lamy Set design and mechanics: Richard Penny, Nicolas Hubert, Patrick Sims Music and sound: Patrick Sims, Quentin Rollet, Karine Dumont, René Miller Narrator's voice: Denis Lavant Animal voice: Isabelle Duthoit Performers: Karine Dumont, Henri Alexandre, Richard Penny Lighting design: Guilhèm Barral Interns: Oskar Bonnet, Chloé Pestona Photography: Jean-Pierre Estournet, Emmanuel Dubost Coproduction: Le Sirque - Pôle National Cirque de Nexon Support: Artist residency at MeTT - Marionnettes en Transmission le Teil, managed by association Corps/Décors and sponsored by DRAC-Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes, Région Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes, Département Ardèche, la Com, Ardèche-Rhône-Coiron and ville du Teil. Les Antliaclastes is subsidized by DRAC Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes and supported by Région Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes and Conseil Départemental de l’Allier}

_{www.antliaclastes.net}