Faustin Linyekula | Studios Kabako | Democratic Republic of the Congo


Stories from a disenchanted country
Once upon a time there was a marshal with a leopardskin toque. He built himself palaces in the jungle and was the president of a country named Zaïre. Véronique, whose family belonged to Mobutu's entourage recalls the gardens of Gbadolite, now plundered and overgrown by the jungle.
Once upon a time, there was a village in North-Eastern Congo where they had dances for every occasion. Faustin lived there as a child. He remembers that he was not permitted to take part in the secret, nocturnal dances. Today, the residents of Obilo have turned to Christian sects. They no longer dance at night.
Faustin Linyekula returned to his home country twelve years ago. Despite the legacy of terror, war and fear, he founded the Studios Kabako: a lab for research, training and production, and a visionary space for art, beauty and dreams. A courtyard under the open sky is the rehearsal stage, fenced in by bamboo canes, exposed to the noise, life and activities of the adjoining street. This is where the play begins with questions: Why hadn´t we left long ago? What keeps us here? What had we hoped for? In their search for answers Véronique, Faustin and the other dancers, actors and singers embark on a journey: to Gbadolite, to Obilo, into the past, in search of the lost country.

http://www.kabako.org

Artistic Director Faustin Linyekula With Papy Ebotani, Véronique Aka Kwadeba, Rosette Lemba, Faustin Linyekula, Pasco Losanganya, Yves Mwamba, Pasnas Stage Bärbel Müller Lighting Virginie Galas Production Studios Kabako - Virginie Dupray Coproduction Festival d’Avignon, KVS Brüssel, Théâtre de la Ville Paris, Theaterformen Hannover/Braunschweig, Pamoja - a Studios Kabako project within the framework of the ACP-UE assistance programmes in the cultural sector financed by the European Union

Within the framework of SHARED SPACES sponsored by the German Federal Cultural Foundation