THÉÂTRE DE LA PIRE ESPÈCE (CANADA) PRESENTS ADAPTATION FROM TOUR PACK ALFRED JARRY’S UBU ROI IN OBJECT THEATRE www.pire-espece.com UBU ON THE TABLE THE WORLD’S GROTESQUENESS ON A TABLE! or What Happens When a Power-Hungry Vinegar Bottle, Hammer and Sugar Bowl Fight for the Throne. Two armies of French baguettes face each other in a stand-off as tomato bombs explode, an egg beater hovers over fleeing troops and molasses-blood splatters on fork-soldiers as they charge Père Ubu. Anything goes as Poland’s fate is sealed on a tabletop! Multiple film references spice things up as two performers hammer-out a small-scale fresco of grandiose buffoonery. UBU IN OBJECT THEATRE Ubu is undeniably comfortable surrounded by kitchen utensils that double as gorging tools and weapons to annihilate the “sagouins”. The banality of the objects dramatically underscores the grotesque nature of the characters: Captain Bordure, embodied by a standard hammer, is forever stuck in his rigid stance, forced to repeat the same ridiculous expressions over and over. The Object’s expressive limits force the creators to focus on the dramatic action rather than on the psychological development of the characters. The actor-puppeteers (in full view) appeal to the audience’s intelligence and imagination by conveying a second degree to the storyline. OVER 900 PERFORMANCES This adaptation of Ubu Roi has garnered much praise – the objects’ raw form and the performance’s frenetic pace are perfectly suited for Alfred Jarry’s cruel farce. Since its creation, the show has been performed over 900 times in 15 COUNTRIES (Canada, France, Germany, U.K, Ireland, Mexico, Spain, Brazil, Bulgaria, Romania, Russia, Belgium, Turkey, Cuba, Finland). CREATIVE TEAM BASED ON ALFRED JARRY’S UBU ROI ADAPTATION AND STAGE DIRECTION OLIVIER DUCAS AND FRANCIS MONTY PERFORMANCE ÉTIENNE BLANCHETTE/OR OLIVIER DUCAS AND MATHIEU GOSSELIN/OR FRANCIS MONTY LIGHT DESIGN JONAS BOUCHARD ENGLISH TRANSLATION (PLAY) BOBBY THEODORE ENGLISH TRANSLATION (PRESS KIT) DENISE BABIN INSPIRED BY THE WORKS OF ALFRED JARRY AND STARRING THE BOTTLE PÈRE UBU + THE MINI-MOP MÈRE UBU + THE HAMMER CAPTAIN BORDURE + THE BIG TEAPOT KING WENCESLAS + THE LITTLE TEAPOT BOGGERLAS + THE BILBOQUET (CUP-AND-BALL GAME) PALOTIN GIRON + THE PEOPLE THE PEOPLE + THE SPOONS THE NOBLES + THE PEASANTS THE PEASANTS + THE UTENSILS THE WHOLE POLISH ARMY + OLIVIER’S HAND MÈRE UBU’S GUARDS + THE BEAR THE PULLEY THE CARRIAGE OF COMMERCE + THE RULER THE DEBRAINING MACHINE + THE LITTLE HAMMER BORDURE JR. AS WELL AS THE TOMATOES, THE FRENCH BAGUETTES AND MANY OTHERS… REVIEWS PRESS REVIEWS «Their Object Theater is striking for its childish abandon, its SUBVERSIVE ENERGY and its confidence in the audience’s ability to grasp the symbolism at play.» Jean St-Hilaire, Le Soleil «Our inner child marvels at what these TWO CREATORS’ GALLOPING IMAGINATIONS manage to pull together with nothing more than a table, a bottle, a min-mop, a hammer, spoons, French baguettes and an army of forks, among other small-scale surprises. The adult in us appreciates the cocky, tongue-in-cheek attitude and the deeper understanding of the text, an adaptation of Alfred Jarry’s King Ubu.» Ève Dumas, La Presse «There’s a childlike approach in their OBJECT HIJACKING, in their hilarious improvisation, how they get caught up in the game and end up thumbing their noses at any basic sense of likelihood.» G.G., L’Ardennais «An iconoclastic version of an already irreverent and unbridled work, the performance is great fun and yet quite learned: THEATER SPECIALISTS AND CONNOISSEURS WILL DELIGHT IN THE MANY SUBTLE REFERENCES, twists and delicious technical feats.» Denise Pelletier, Le Quotidien «HUMOROUS, INVENTIVE AND WILFULLY JUVENILE, (…) Ubu on the Table tickles the funny bone and the imagination.» Marie Labrecque, Voir AUDIENCE REVIEWS «Ubu on the table is an absolute riot! Brought me back to seeing it the first time. A SMILE EAR TO EAR AND GUTS HURTING FROM LAUGHTER.» Andy - June 206 «Ubu on the Table: HYSTERICAL OBJECT PUPPETRY, madcap energy, extensive fart jokes? You’re speaking my language!» Kira - June 206 «Ubu on the Table - 2 actors in a kitchen re-tell the famous Dadaist Shakespeare spoof. WILDLY INVENTIVE.» Jim - June 206 «Ubu on the Table is a VERITABLE STACCATO OF HILARITY.» Vadim - June 206 AWARDS QUÉBEC ROMANIA BULGARIA RUSSIA Critic’s Awards Jury’s Award OFQJ-RIDEAU Award Best Show Award Festivalul International International Puppet creation category International Puppet de Teatru Atelier, Theatre Festival, Plovdiv Festival “Visiting Baia Mare Arlekin”, Omsk UBU ON THE TABLE’S PERFORMANCE HISTORY (SUMMARY) 1998 Creation at La Brasserie Laurier (Montréal) 2000 Café-Théâtre l’Aparté (Montréal) Semaine mondiale de la marionnette (Jonquière) 2001 Festival Public-Off d’Avignon (France) 2002 Semaine mondiale de la marionnette (Jonquière) Festival international d’été de Québec Festival de théâtre de rue (Shawinigan) Festival Marionnettissimo (France) Performances in Québec and in France 2003 Creation of UBU SOBRE LA MESA and UBU SOURD LA TABLE Fira de teatre de Tarrega (Espagne) Festival internacional Titerias (Mexique) Festival des arts forains de Namur (Belgique) Festival mondial des théâtres de marionnettes de Charleville-Mézières (France) Performances in France, Ontario and Québec 2004 Maison Théâtre (Montréal) Performed in France, Mexico and Québec 2005 Performed in France, Belgium, Ontario and Québec 2006 Festival Intercâmbio de Linguagens (Brazil) Performed in France, Spain, Belgium and Québec 2007 Festival International de teatru Atelier (Baia Mare, Romania) Performed in France and Québec 2008 Performed in France, Spain and Québec 2009 Performed in France, New Brunswick and Québec 2010 International Puppet Theatre Festival (Plovdiv, Bulgaria) Festival Marionnettissimo (France) Festival Internacional de Teatro de Objetos (Brasilia, Brazil) Performed in Brazil, Ontario and Québec 2011 Archéoforum de Liège (Belgium) Théâtre Français de Toronto (Canada) 2012 Creation of UBU ON THE TABLE at Festival de Casteliers (Montréal) Izmir Kukla Günleri International Puppet Days (Turkey) OFF-CINARS (Montréal) 2013 The International Festival of Animated Object (Calgary, Canada) Visiting Arlekin, International Puppet Festival (Omsk, Russia) 2014 Mukamas International Puppet Festival (Tampere, Finland) 2015 El Festín de los Muñecos (Guadalajara, Mexico) Festival Internacional de Teatro de La Habana (Cuba) La Capilla, Mexico (Mexico) Marionnettissimo Festival, Tournefeuille (France) UBU ON THE TABLE’S PERFORMANCE HISTORY (SUMMARY) 2016 Edinburgh Festival Fringe at Summerhall (Edinburgh, UK) Festival St-Ambroise Fringe of Montreal (Canada) Théâtre Aux Écuries, Montreal (Canada) 2017 Belltable, Lime Three Theatre, Limerick (Ireland) Nenagh Arts center, Nenagh (Ireland) Riverbank Arts Center, Newbridge (Ireland) Fringe Festival Recklinghausen (Germany) Salisbury International Arts Festival (U.K) 3rd International Puppet Underground Festival, Regina (Canada) Théâtre Aux Écuries, Montreal (Canada) 2018 Cercle Molière, Winnipeg (Canada) 2019 Bouffou Théâtre à la Coque, Hennebont, (France) STARS OF THE SHOW PÈRE UBU BORDURE BOUGRELAS THE WAR THE ANCESTOR MÈRE UBU THE END TECHNICAL SPECIFICATIONS • Duration of the show: 75 minutes • Playing area (minimum) - Length: 3,5 meters - Width: 2 meters - Stage elevation from the ground: maximum 30 centimeters • Audience - 100 spectators if the rows are properly different in altitude - 70 spectators if the seats are formed like in a cabaret (with tables) - Frontal audience only • Required equipment: - 3 tables (90 cm x 60 cm, 73 cm of height) covered with black sheets. They will be used for objects on stage. - Small desk litter (waterproof) - Upstage black curtain • Light - Entrance of the audience: cabaret-style lighting, filtered lighting during the show - On stage: everything is done by the actors/manipulators. - 2 electrical plugs next to the stage (110V or 220V depending on the country) and 2 extension cords of 5 meters. • Sound - Done on stage by the actors/manipulators • Setting - Set up: 60 minutes - Load out: 45 minutes • Touring team - 2 actors - 1 road manager THÉÂTRE DE LA PIRE ESPÈCE La Pire Espèce is a brotherhood of merry demiurges, artisans of the extraordinary who are firm believers in hybrids and interminglings. Inspired by the art of clowns, by fairground barkers and puppeteers, its theatre combines raw materials with unbridled imagination, baroque plenitude with surgical precision. Since 1999, Pire Espèce has been borrowing techniques from different disciplines such as puppetry, theatre of objects, clowning, cabaret and street theatre. By exploring the creative process, it explores stage conventions and the rules of dramatic narration, and seeks to establish a close complicity with the audience. La Pire Espèce is also nineteen original works, one exhibition, two street theatre pieces, four cabarets and more than 1800 performances. Half of that number were performed abroad during recurrent tours in Europe and around the world. Its work include also three Spanish translations, three English translations and a bold adaptation for both the deaf and the non-hearing impaired, five co-productions in quebec and in Europe and several professional workshops for theatre artists and teachers. ITS RESTLESS MINDS OLIVIER DUCAS - Co-Artistic Director Olivier Ducas studied acting at the National Theatre School of Canada. His decisive encounter with Francis Monty led in 1999 to the founding of Théâtre de la Pire Espèce, for which they act as