What: Vu presented by FCCS Performance Series (Theatre26)
Who: Created and performed by Étienne Manceau of Compagnie Sacékripa, France
When: Friday, January 29 at 7 p.m. and 9 p.m., and Saturday, January 30 at 3 p.m. and 8 p.m.
Where: Black Box Theatre, 1375 Water Street, Kelowna
The world of circus artist Etienne Manceau is a strange, funny, scary place. It’s a place where newspapers can become claws; where small obsessions can make you crazy; where everyday objects appear in a new light as they’re touched, moved, transformed. Manceau’s performance is wordless, a blend of Object Theatre, clowning and what the artist calls “miniature circus.” It’s a mix that could only come from the mind of an eccentric. One thing this show is not is conventional.
Manceau worked for years as a juggler, and has had deep involvement in circus culture. This show, in which he performs alone, applies the comical ethos of the circus milieu to a work comprised of one man and his collection of everyday objects. It’s about a sensitive, meticulous man and his relationship with those objects—how he transforms them, and how in turn they affect him. The creator shows wit, wonderful dexterity and small-scale ingenuity in creating art out of the quotidian. In his comic mugging, his precise physical feats and sheer wackiness he calls upon the tradition of old-fashioned physical comedy. You’ll be amused, impressed and maybe a little spooked; the show is a lot of fun but, like all the most creative art, it reaches well beyond entertainment.
Ingenious…The effect of this minimalist show, a jewel polished to the highest detail, is for the audience to realise how maniacally they act each day of their life.
—Scena.ro Magazine
Created in Toulouse, France, Vu is an internationally celebrated, non-verbal performance to be featured at the Vancouver International Children’s Festival as part of Vancouver’s PuSh International Performing Arts Festival.
The Faculty of Creative and Critical Studies at UBC Okanagan, presents Vu for audiences ages seven and up at the Black Box Theatre (1375 Water Street, Kelowna) on Friday, January 29 (7 p.m. and 9 p.m.) and Saturday, January 30 (3 p.m. and 8 p.m.).
All shows are $25; $15 for students and seniors. Tickets can be purchased at the door and online at theatre26.ok.ubc.ca.
Also coming up in the 2015-16 FCCS Performance Series are The Unfortunate Ruth, February 19 and 20 at UBC’s University Theatre (tickets online or at the door), and huff on March 11 and 12 at the Mary Irwin Theatre (tickets online and at the RCA box office).
Manceau is part of the company Sacékripa, which was founded in 2003 by five circus artists from different backgrounds. Together they create performances on the border of several disciplines, exploring circus, juggling, dance, and object manipulation with poetry and humour. The company performs at street festivals and in theaters across Europe.
The FCCS Performance Series is made possible through the generous support of the Central Okanagan Foundation and UBC Okanagan’s Deputy Vice-Chancellor and Principal’s Office.