Baron de Evel seeks in poetry a reason to exist

Barcelona"How do we keep people going to the theater when the world is burning?" asks Camille Decourtye, one of the two souls behind Baró d'Evel. This feeling has accompanied the group in recent years and has permeated every scene of Who are we?Their latest show, which arrives this Thursday at the Teatre Lliure in Montjuïc, stems from the question posed in its title—a question prompted by the experience of lockdown—but doesn't expect to provide answers. Like everything created by this multidisciplinary and unclassifiable company (creators of captivating shows such as Cliff, The and Beasts), Who are we? It's a ship to delve into their poetic universe and emerge from it, each with their own conclusions and feelings. "In our 47 years of maturity, there's a need for our work to serve some purpose," summarizes Blaï Mateu, the other founding member of Baró d'Evel. Who are we? They will perform ten exclusive shows in Barcelona, ​​some of which are already sold out.

The show premiered at the Avignon Festival in early July 2024 and then It could be seen at the Grec festival from Barcelona. However, since then the production has been transformed to adapt to indoor spaces and to adjust other aspects. This has happened as the company has toured it through various theaters in countries such as France, Turkey, Switzerland, and Serbia. It is a large-scale production, involving 23 people and an animal. "The creation was cathartic; we were under a lot of pressure because we were premiering in Avignon. We don't work from a text but from the material itself. We're all in the same boat, swimming in a space where you don't see the borders. This puts the creators in complex situations," Mateu points out.

A destructive and evocative set design

Ceramics and clay play a central role on stage, precisely to create from the idea of constant transformation. "The material helps us summon the fact that we are ever-changing beings and that no one escapes it," says Decourtye, who adds that this time they felt the need to "summon the worst of humanity" and "confront the death drive." The set design, in fact, evokes a dreamlike and beautiful landscape—reminiscent of the sea, the mountains, and childhood—but at the same time, it can be interpreted as a reference to fascism and destruction. "After the pandemic, it's impossible not to realize that art and poetry are the only way to connect with each other and find our reason for being," the creator states. The creative process behind the show is documented in a film of the same name, directed by Salvador Sunyer Vidal, which will premiere next spring.

Who are we? It is the first part of a trilogy that will continue with Who am I? and Where are we? The second part will be a solo performance, while the third—planned for 2028—will consist of a sound installation with fired ceramics. In parallel, Decouyrte is working on the publication of a book. Le dedans te le dehors, about the history of the company, which will soon take the show to Japan and Taiwan.