This was performed at Camden People’s Theatre.
Created & perfomed by Pedro Antunes, Hugo Caroca, Ariana Lebron and Mauro Matos |Direction and Text by Pedro Antunes & Mauro Matos | Choreography by Ariana Lebron & Hugo Caroca | | Costumes & Set design by Lucy Newholm | Lighting design by Hugo Caroca | Music by Donald Newholm, Ruido, Tiago de Almeida and Joseph Vidar | Photography by Olga Belchior | Video Alex Forsey | Produced by Kerry Irvine
Supported by Scene Pool & Performance Initiative
St. Elizabeth of Portugal (1271- 1336)
A catholic pop performance
A Portuguese Queen that, although under her husband’s control, defies him and goes out into the streets to care for the workers and feed the people. The legend tells that one day she was caught by her husband leaving the house whilst hiding bread in her apron. She lied telling him it was roses she was carrying and when she opened the apron the bread had been transformed into roses.
This story is here dismantled and transformed into visceral visual experience where the queen is placed as real replica of the saint’s image represented by a stone sculpture, creating a figure of living metaphors and vivid allegoric pictures.
Beyond the narrative of the legend we assist to the people’s fight against an authoritarian and petrified society that is staged by a group of workers that perform the breaking of this cold sculpture of a roman catholic saint, carving away a sexuality and sensuality that emerges out of her ruins. The broken saint gives birth to a carnal woman of brown skin , a new body that emerged out the rigidity and immobility.
Under the ruin and the destruction we have the queen’s son trying to shape and construct the spirituality and memory of his own mother, wanting to embrace her body in a intimate and maternal moment, that has been ripped a long time ago.
I enjoyed the show very much. I’m looking forward to see how it will grow.
Absolutely tremendous. I was left brimming with stark images, bold thoughts and all sorts of ideas – not all of which were coherent but impressive nonetheless. An amazing start – with feedback and a little more development, a piece that will be an incredible success. A perfect blend of serious analysis and humour, the contrasts are spot on.
Thank you so much for the evening!
I thought the show was a collection of beautiful stage pictures, which all somehow made sense together despite being very varied in tone. I think maybe the beginning moment could be more of a reveal, if the lights came up and suddenly the audience sees these “statues” covered in plastic, which are then uncovered and revealed to be real people. I liked the way you were able to transition from humor (the “yogurt” monologue…fantastic!) to more solemn scenes. The music was wonderful, and was absolutely integral to the performance, I would love to see even more music throughout! I would also love to see what you can do with a more substantial budget and a team of designers. It was a scratch production, so I can forgive it for being a little rough around the edges, but if you pay great attention to details and really polish it, I think it will be a really beautiful piece of theatre. I was sad when it ended, I wanted to keep on watching!
Can’t wait to see more!
Some notes…
* Live music was excellent. Incorporate it further but don’t add any more musicians.
* Keep the Pedro+Mauro duet.
* Loved the materials, keep the ‘whiteness’ of the imagery (yoghurt/milk/flour etc..)
* Something which is completely random, but still I felt strongly about – throughout the piece, I was hoping that Ari’s white dress would somehow be stained. I don’t know how or why, but the idea of that huge white thing which was even bigger than Ari, I wanted color to be spilled on it.
* Also, speacking of which – when Ari takes away the ‘clay’ part of the skirt, before coming naked, I wished that was more visible and more of a bigger deal – to witness the transformation.
Hope this is all useful and overall, fantastic show and thank you!:)
THANKS PEDRO AND TO ALL THE GROUP for an interesting night. All of the team worked well into the performance. A great soundtrack too, very ethereal for the piece, especially towards the end where the male character was working with the soft powder/flour. I felt the audience hold their breath while this actor was turning with the flow of the dust rising and settling. It was a great visual for me. Best to all for further great productions.