Tabac Rouge

Tabac Rouge heralds a welcome return to the Sydney Festival for performer and creator James Thierree and Compagnie Du Hanneton.

This production focuses on a once glorious society and its slow descent into chaos and decay. We see a King (Thierree) at the height of his command, adored by his people and in control of a grand society. But it is the combination of indulgence, age and the duplicitous nature of politics that leads to his undoing and largely that of his dystopian/utopian vision.

But what the story of Tabec Rouge is, isn’t as important as how the story is told. This is another of Thierree’s incredible displays of stunning images and performances using gibberish, movement and contortion. The tapestry of images that Thierree manages to produce are rich and at times overwhelming in a visceral way which really needs to be experienced.

Thierree is supported by an incredible group of performers, who tumble, dance and contort their way around the massive Sydney Theatre stage. All are equally talented, but it is the contortionist antics of Valerie Doucet which have the audience squirming in their seats and Magnus Jakobsson is the embodiment of a machiavellian and manipulative right hand man - think Iago.

The Tabac Rouge set is an incredible feat of design and engineering - a massive steel frame covered with patch work pieces of metal and mirror that is wheeled and flipped around the stage at an incredible pace is breathtaking. At one point it breaks into heavy shards suspended by wires and dances dangerously over the cast which is to mesmerising.

Tabac Rouge is a jewel in the crown of the Sydney Festival and if you haven’t seen Thierree’s work you should take this opportunity to do just that.

Whitney Fitzsimmons