La Pendue (France)

A scary forest, the devil, a poor miller and his daughter, a sinister deal and a pair of severed hands are the ingredients of this dark fairy tale, centred on resilience and self-confidence. But what starts in deception and sorrow ends in love and happiness ever after for a determined young woman and her handsome prince.

A thrilling story in which light meets darkness and joy meets despair. The themes of female emancipation and triumph over adversity resonate strongly in this macabre tale, making it timeless at the same time. To be the hands of this drama, which plays out the quest for the freedom to act and to love, is an exciting artistic challenge. Indeed, manipulating the Manekine is to realise a beautiful paradox: that a puppeteer can become the hands of the ‘handless’.

La Pendue returns to FIMFA after having amazed everyone with Tria Fata, presented at the São Luiz Theatre in 2017. La Manékine, their latest creation, is a poetic and terribly topical performance, marked by the magic and unique universe of La Pendue.

^{“As in a dream, these combine in a way that, although utterly strange, connects us to the intangible realities of existence.” - Clare Brennan, The Guardian ★★★★}

^{“At the heart of it all is the extraordinary Estelle Charlier, who moves between the roles of master puppeteer and storyteller with grace and precision (…). Each gesture feels deliberate, each movement imbued with emotion, as if the puppets themselves breathe (…). It is rare to see a performance that blends so many art forms with such cohesion and purpose. La Manékine is a show where puppetry, music, and storytelling are woven together to create something truly magical. A performance not without darkness but filled with humanity, hope, and light.” - Sofia Danailov Esteban, Plays to See ★★★★}

^{La Pendue Theatre’s La Manékine is an exemplary homage to the French traditions of physical theatre and guignol-style puppetry 8…).  It is a masterclass in storytelling and performance, deftly reimagining the Grimm Brothers’ tale The Girl Without Hands with innovation and heart.}

^{At the core of the production lies the remarkable talent of Charlier. Her precision, physicality and skill breathe life into an array of characters and puppets, creating a mesmerizing, dynamic interplay to watch (…).}

^{This is a piece that lingers in the mind long after the final curtain, stirring both the heart and the imagination. For those who appreciate innovative theatre rooted in tradition, La Manékine is an unforgettable experience (…).”  - Jess Gonzalez, Everything-Theatre}

BIO

La Pendue, Theatre Company, puppets and sensitive metamorphosis, was created in 2003 in Grenoble by Estelle Charlier and Romuald Collinet, two former pupils of the École Supérieure Nationale des Arts de la Marionnette de Charleville-Mézières. La Pendue is managed by Le Théâtre de l’Homme Ridicule, and it has built its workshops and its rehearsal room on the heights of Grenoble.

From this favourable altitude, the company heads his work towards two divergent and complementary directions:

-Traditional glove puppet productions inspired by the four-hundred-year-old character Polichinelle (Pulcinella), through the show Poli dégaine (presented at FIMFA Lx8);

-Contemporary work which experiments with different puppetry techniques (string puppets, shadows, and other techniques still uncategorized), like Tria Fata presented at FIMFA Lx17 and La Manékine.

However, these two lines agree on the essential: revealing the original human by means of his acting.

From touring all over the world, the company created prestigious collaborations. These included Ilka Schonbein, with whom Romuald Collinet was the artistic adviser on La vieille et la bête; and Leo Carax, with whom Estelle Charlier and Romuald Collinet created the character of Annette: face, growth and magic, for the film of the same name.

_CREDITS

_{Cast: Estelle Charlier, Martin Kaspar Orkestar Concept, artistic direction, puppets and masks: Estelle Charlier Music: Martin Kaspar Orkestar Direction: Estelle Charlier, Romuald Collinet Adaptation and texts: Romaric Sangars Lighting and technical manager: Anthony Lopez Sound management: Andi Luchsinger Sets and props: Anthony Lopez, Andi Luchsinger, Estelle Charlier, Martin Kaspar Orkestar, Romuald Collinet, TMG -  Atelier Set construction workshops Costumes: Estelle Charlier and TMG - Costumes making workshops Collaboration on choreography: Sarah Charlier Video editing: Pavlína Vimmrova Administration: Patricia Lecoq Tour manager: Thomas Balouet Photography: Le Monde d’Aurore, Estelle Charlier, Martin Kaspar Orkestar Production: Théâtre de l’Homme Ridicule Coproduction and residency: TMG - Grenoble, Espace Aragon à Villard-Bonnot, Le MeTT - Marionnettes en Transmission le Teil, Saint-Martin-d’Hères en Scène, L’heure bleue, ECRP Scène régionale Coproduction: Espace Jéliote - Centre National de la Marionnette, Figur i Fossekleiva, Le Train Théâtre - Scène conventionnée d’intérêt national, La Mure Cinéma Théâtre Support: DRAC Auvergne Rhône Alpes, Région Auvergne Rhône Alpes, Département de l’Isère, Ville de Grenoble, SPEDIDAM - a collection and distribution company that manages the rights of performers in the recording, broadcasting and reuse of registered services Company in residence and creative development supported by: Scène 55 - Scène Conventionnée d’Intérêt national, Festival Mondial des Théâtres de Marionnettes de Charleville-Mézières Other residencies: L’Amphi de Pont-de-Claix, L’Odyssée d’Eybens}

_{www.lapendue.fr}