Compagnie Karyatides (Belgium)

The author's text, which unveils the anatomy of a crime, from fantasy to confession, is delivered in a breathless rhythm, moving between action and reflection, punctuated by humor and songs, without ever losing its renowned depth.

On stage, two performers bring the various protagonists to life, manipulating figurines in wood, plaster, and resin, fabric dolls, and various objects. Roles and genders are constantly reversed and blurred within a sober set that serves as both a courtroom and a confessional. Different perspectives on the crime are juxtaposed, prompting a reflection on freedom, responsibility, guilt, and justice.

Accustomed to adapting great literary works, the Karyatides company plunges us into the psychological anguish of Raskolnikov, a young man in revolt, crushed by poverty. He fights against injustice, poverty and the lack of prospects the world offers him. So, to achieve his freedom beyond morality and in defiance of the law, he robs and murders an old usurer. After all, the world will be better off without her, and the loot can be redistributed... The terrible punishment he inflicts on himself is immediate: tormented by the barbarity of his act, he vacillates night and day between nightmare and madness. Is he a pretentious little man with no morals? A bumbling Robin Hood? A seductive bastard? Or simply a product of society? In court, opinions differ.

^{"An actor and an actress share the stage, along with countless figurines and music, serving as the third point of a triangle whose shape must be constantly redefined. Men are men, men are women, women are men, women are women; roles are swapped, voices are shared, and paths open up. In a 5D staging, a dance of thoughts and a hellish carousel, morality stands there, feverish and fragile, hanging by a thread, and it will be up to the audience to deliver the verdict (...)." - Romain Sublon}

^{"We can say that the gamble, which was a massive one, was more than successful! Crime and Punishment by Karyatides is simply brilliant (...). Before us, a myriad of characters, in the form of figurines bought at flea markets, tell us this story, one of a murder and a wounded society. It is beautiful, truly beautiful (...). It is subtle, it is intelligent; it shows us characters who are simultaneously good and evil, making us realize that humanity is written in shades of gray...}

^{And it is also visually brilliant, with scenography and lighting that create absolutely striking images (...). Karyatides achieve a remarkable feat I never thought possible with such a text: they make us laugh. Because laughter is subversive, it is delicious, and it allows a cerebral text to anchor itself in the body.}

^{And here, Karyatides chose to channel laughter through music (...). In front of us, in a music as absurd as it is wild, Cyril Briant and Marie Delhaye sweep us from laughter to tears, tears of joy or sadness, for that matter. It took a certain amount of genius to tackle musical theatre, and here, it is great art! (...). It is beautiful, it is powerful. It is a creation not to be missed! It will enchant adults and younger audiences alike. Run to see it!" - Sarah Théry, Kiosk}

^{"Nothing is impossible with Karyatides! Anyone who has already adapted Les Misérables, Madame Bovary, or even Frankenstein for object theatre can tackle another monument of literature: Dostoevsky's Crime and Punishment. And it is, once again, a resounding success (...). Shifting from one character to another, Marie Delhaye and Cyril Briant lead the performance masterfully (...).}

^{While animating the various protagonists, they embody the different roles, using their voices, of course, but often their gestures as well. Behind the bar, in a karaoke-like atmosphere, they launch into brief musical moments, in the style of tearful variety songs. Changing their voice, tone, and expression in the blink of an eye, they are simultaneously the soul and the partners of the figures, statuettes, and other dolls that surround them. A remarkable and formidable feat that allows this Crime and Punishment to fascinate, question, and surprise us from beginning to end." - Jean-Marie Wynants, Le Soir}

BIO

At the heart of the work of the Belgian company Karyatides, based in Brussels, is the adaptation of classical works to object theatre. Founded by Karine Birgé and Marie Delhaye, graduates of the Conservatoire d'Art de Liège, the company has presented its work at the most important theatre festivals. Among his greatest hits are Madame Bovary, Carmen, and Les Misérables or Frankenstein presented in 2022 and 2024 at FIMFA. At the service of these stories, they develop a theatre of "figures", combining puppetry, object theatre and music. They play with these languages, each one with its specificities, and moving from one to the other. They use manufactured objects, sometimes full of references, they play with the commonplace, the cliché, thus provoking quirkiness from which poetry flows. These objects, future heroes of their stories or adventures, come from flea markets, Petits Riens or Emmaus. They were collected or traded according to the company's research and tours. They are almost bio, organic, ethical and completely recycled.

_CREDITS

_{Based on the novel by: Fiódor Dostoiévski Direction: Karine Birgé Performers: Cyril Briant, Marie Delhaye Dramaturgy: Robin Birgé Sound design: Guillaume Istace Original music: Gil Mortio Set design and costumes: Claire Farah Lighting design: Dimitri Joukovsky Technical direction: Karl Descarreaux Construction: Olivier Waterkeyn Puppets: Joachim Jannin Technical interventions: Claire Farah, Eugénie Obolensky, Karl Descarreaux, Dimitri Joukovsky Illustration and visuals: Antoine Blanquart Photography: Marie-Françoise Plissart Administration and production: Marion Couturier Diffusion: Vincent Geens Coproduction: Théâtre de Liège, Varia - Théâtre & Studio, Escher Theater (LU), Centre Culturel de Dinant, Théâtre de Namur, La Maison de la Cculture de Tournai, La Coop asbl Support: Ministère de la Fédération Wallonie Bruxelles - Service du Théâtre, La Roseraie - Bruxelles, Pierre de Lune - Centre Scénique Jeunes Publics de Bruxelles, Théâtre Les Tanneurs, Théâtre La Montagne Magique, Shelterprod, Taxshelter.be, ING, Tax-Shelter du Gouvernement Fédéral Belge Travel support: Wallonie-Bruxelles International (WBI)}

_{www.karyatides.net}