Bérénice
JEAN RACINE, ROMEO CASTELLUCCI, ISABELLE HUPPERT
Deutsche Erstaufführung
Monumental heroine and iconic actress: a monologue
Freely inspired by Jean Racine’s Bérénice, Romeo Castellucci brings to life an adaptation of this classic tragedy in the form of a monologue by international acting icon Isabelle Huppert. Two lovers must separate for the sake of the state. The Roman Emperor Titus falls in love with the Jewish Queen Bérénice and discovers she loves him in return. However, the laws of Rome forbid him to marry her. Here, love is the theatre of cruelty. Bérénice is probably the most unsettling tragedy ever written. And yet it has moved us to tears for centuries, as if we can see ourselves inside it. Huppert’s voice is the source of almost every sound, noise and silence in this performance, edited and processed by sound artist Scott Gibbons. A majestic return to the Ruhrtriennale by Romeo Castellucci.
Produced by Societas, Cesena; Printemps des Comédiens / Cité du Théâtre Domaine d’O, Montpellier. Co-produced by Ruhrtriennale, Théâtre de La Ville Paris, Comédie de Genève, Les Théâtres de la Ville de Luxembourg, deSingel International Arts Center, Festival Temporada Alta, Teatro di Napoli – Teatro Nazionale, Thalia Theater Hamburg, Onassis Stegi, Triennale Milano, National Taichung Theater, Holland Festival, LAC Lugano Arte e Cultura, TAP - Théâtre Auditorium de Poitiers, La Comédie de Clermont-Ferrand – Scène Nationale, Théâtre national de Bretagne.
Audio introduction
Find out more about the the production in our audio introduction.
Synopsis
Titus returned victorious from the First Jewish War, following the death of his father Vespasian, is set to succeed him as Roman emperor. During the war campaign he met Berenice, a Jewish princess of Cilicia and fell in love with her. Reciprocated hedecides to return to Rome with her, promising to marry her. His friend and ally Antiochus, king of Commagene is also secretly in love with the princess. When the wedding between Titus and Berenice approaches, Antiochus reveals his love for her and that he wishes to flee Rome so that he does not have to attend the wedding celebrations. Titus, meanwhile, learns of the opposition of the Senate and the Roman people to his wedding. In imperial Rome, in fact, the union of the emperor with a foreign queen was frowned upon; moreover, the republican Senate hated all forms of monarchy. Titus was forced to renounce his marriage to Berenice, but not having the courage to face the discussion of their separation he sent Antiochus to announce his decision to the queen. Berenice rushes to Titus’s apartments to reassure herself that this is not a misunderstanding or mistake - so certain of Titus’s love for her - and there she meets some senators who have come to congratulate Titus on having preferred the reason of state by separating from her. Berenice finds Titus in tears. Desperate, she wants to kill herself. Titus is deeply affected. Berenice, understanding the depth of Titus’ feelings for her, prefers to leave Rome and give up the love of her life.
„Acting is a way of living out one’s insanity.“
Cast
- Concept and direction
- Romeo Castellucci
- Music
- Scott Gibbons
- Costumes
- Iris van Herpen ,
- Chiara Venturini
- A monologue with
- Isabelle Huppert
- And with the participation of
- Cheikh Kébé ,
- Giovanni Manzo
- Extras
- Ulrich Bender ,
- Frank Xaver Bramkamp ,
- Morgan Nardi ,
- Matthias Pingel ,
- Oliver Rudat ,
- Christian Rychter ,
- Renato Sbardelotto
- Assistant Director
- Silvano Voltolina ,
- Sergio Scarlatella ,
- Giacomo Dominici
- Technical Direction
- Eugenio Resta
- Stage Technician
- Andrei Benchea ,
- Stefano Valandro
- Light Technician
- Andrea Sanson
- Sound technician
- Claudio Tortorici
- Hair styling and make up ideation
- Sylvie Cailler ,
- Jocelyne Milazzo
- Stage sculptures and automations
- Plastikart Studio Amoroso & Zimmermann
- Production direction
- Benedetta Briglia ,
- Marko Rankov
- Production and Tour
- Giulia Colla
- Organisation
- Bruno Jacob ,
- Leslie Perrin ,
- Caterina Soranzo
- Contribution to production
- Gilda Biasini
- Technical Headquarter Team
- Lorenzo Camera ,
- Carmen Castellucci ,
- Francesca Di Serio ,
- Gionni Gardini
- Costume Intern
- Madeleine Tessier
- Movement double
- Serena Dibiase
- Lines Repeater
- Agathe Vidal
- Administration
- Michaela Medri ,
- Elisa Bruno ,
- Simona Barducci
- Economic consultant
- Massimiliano Coli
- Production Manager Ruhrtriennale
- Sarah Heinrich ,
- Judith Humer
- Assistant Artistic Production Manager Ruhrtriennale
- Charlotte Wulff
- Technical Project Manager Ruhrtriennale
- Darko Šošić
- Technician
- Christian Benz ,
- Anne Gollasch ,
- Carl Schenkel
- Dressing, collaboration costumes
- Daniela Bermudez ,
- Dorothée Grohs ,
- Carmen Oertwig
Directions and arrival
Landschaftspark Duisburg-Nord
Emscherstr. 71
47137 Duisburg
Accessibility at the venue
Bérénice
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