Compagnie Bakélite (France)

Robots move about randomly and come and go in the space, creating a hypnotic dance. During the performance, their behaviour is increasingly disordered, and they even seem to have human intentions. A question of balance, on the edge of the precipice, an accident is never far away.

The Breton company Bakélite brings us its irresistible object theatre, characterised by meticulousness and demand, where imagination meets practical inventiveness and humour. Not to be missed!

^{“What emerges is both a hilarious commentary on the limits of robot assistance – superbly performed by Bakelite’s founder Olivier Rannou, as the man – and a timeless satire on restaurant service at its worst; and both are greeted with peals of laughter, from an enthralled and delighted audience.” - Joyce McMillan, The Scotsman}

^{"(★★★★) A silent comedy from Olivier Rannou’s French outfit Compagnie Bakélite that has a fleet of six robot vacuum cleaners attempt to serve one man his dinner (…). 
It is short and sweet, with an infectiously chaotic sense of humour. And maybe, amid the mayhem, there is a crafty comment on our rocky relationship with technology. We rely on robots throughout our lives, not just for cleaning the floor: will we all end up with spaghetti sauce in our laps? - Fergus Morgan, The Stage}

^{“Super inventive and enthralling object theatre, L'Amour du Risque is a treat.” The Wee review}

^{“A fun and clever exploration of a silly but challenging idea, it does exactly what it says on the tin, leaving us, unlike our silent audience stand-in, nothing to complain about.”}

^{- Oliver Giggins, North West End UK}

BIO

The company Bakélite was founded in 2005 in Rennes and has become a benchmark for object theatre in France. Bakélite’s signature is the precision of the cuts and sequences, with all the rigour of a script written in plans that takes its dramaturgy from cinema and distorts its codes. All the shows are designed for a family audience, so that everyone, whatever their age, can find something to enjoy and share with others. From L’Affaire Poucet in 2005 to L’Amour du Risque in 2023, Caravane de l’Horreur has already performed around 2,400 shows in theatres and outdoors. With shows performed at the biggest puppet festivals or in cultural centres, Bakélite is everywhere. The company is currently based at Jungle, a place of residence and artistic creation in Le Rheu, of which Bakélite is a founding member.

_CREDITS

_{Direction: Olivier Rannou Direction assistance: Morien Nolot, Robin Lescouët, Ariel Doron Construction, performance: Morien Nolot, Olivier Rannou Lighting design: Alan Floc'h Support for project development: Charlène Faroldi, Louise Gérard, Sandrine Hernandez Photography: Greg Bouchet Coproduction: L’Hopitau - Laboratoire des Arts de la Marionnette, La Chapelle-sur-Erdre, Théâtre de Cuisine, Centre Culturel de Liffré Pre-license: Le Théâtre de Laval, Centre National de la Marionnette Support: Région Bretagne, Département Ille-et-Vilaine, Ville de Rennes}

_{www.compagnie-bakelite.com}