Join us on a humorous, kaleidoscopic journey through Morocco, in a circus performance filled with daring acrobatics and music!
In the show Taoub, acrobatics, projections, music and singing form a poetic circus which leaves the audience euphoric. Taoub is directed by the French choreographer Aurélien Bory, who created acclaimed performances such as ”Geometrie de caoutchouc” and ”Plan B”. On December 28 Taoub premieres in Sweden, on Hangaren Subtopia’s stage.
In Taoub, which in Arabic means tissue, different artistic expressions are weaved together. The twelve acrobatics on stage make up a human weave of muscles and skin, but also of solidarity and dreams. In the performance there is also a fabric weave, a cloth which changes and has various meanings and functions during the performance. The cloth transforms from a blanket, which covers and cherishes the whole stage, to an ocean of waves, to a tent, to a dress…the weave is and carries the performance as an equal and essential partner of the twelve acrobats in the circus company Groupe acrobatique de Tanger.
Taoub was created in 2003 in Tanger for the festival ”Les Nuits de la Méditerrannée” and is the first contemporary circus show that has been made in Morocco. Since the premiere the show has been a world-wide success with around 340 performances in more than 20 countries.
ABOUT GROUPE ACROBATIQUE DE TANGER
Groupe acrobatique de Tanger is a circus company of twelve acrobats from Morocco. The artists’ ages vary from 22 to 46 years of age, which creates a unique width and social weave in itself. The company was formed at one of Tanger’s beaches; the only available and open space where acrobats could gather to practice their traditional art form, which has been transfered from generation to generation. It was to this beach Sanae El Kamouni in 2003 brought French directing-colleague Aurélien Bory to meet the acrobats from Tanger. From the meeting between Sanae El Kamouni, the acrobats and Bory the circus company Groupe acrobatique de Tanger was born. Together they created the very first contemporary circus show ever made in Morocco, which got the name Taoub which means tissue in Arabic.
Since the company was formed in 2003 they have toured the world with great success. One of the shows they have toured with is Taoub which has been shown more than 340 times in over 20 countries. Together with the company the directing-duo Zimmerman & de Perrot created the show Chouf Ouchouf, which premiered in Sweden at Subtopia in 2011 and was praised by Dagens nyheter’s critic who wrote ”Standing ovations. Daring, skilled acrobats and unparalleled scenography”.
Parts of the company are artists who grew up with circus since their last name is ”Hammich”. In Medina everyone knows about the circus family Hammich; from grandfather to the youngest grandchild. The family are famous acrobats, trained since young age according to the circus tradition which has been maintained and transfered from one generation to another. See Deborah May’s portrait of the family bellow:
[youtubeVideo id=”r3yz2u6ImLE” thumbnail=”https://subtopia.se/wp-content/uploads/2015/10/pressrum_startbild_video_taoub.jpg”]
ABOUT DIRECTOR AURÉLIEN BORY
Aurélien Bory is a French director from Toulouse. He started as a juggler and has developed a physical theater which has been described as a mix of different forms of stage expressions such as theater, circus, dance, visual art and music. In Bory’s shows scenography is often granted a lot of space, as well as a constant exploration of the spatial, and how that and what happens on the stage can be freed and continue to evolve in the audience’s imagination.
In 2000 Bory founded ”Compagnie 111” and has since then created shows such as ”Géométrie de caoutchouc (2011), Sans objet (2009), Les sept planches de la ruse (The seven boards of skill, 2007) and many others. Aurèlien Bory’s shows tour all over the world and is as global as his collaborations with artists and circus companies, where Moroccan company Groupe acrobatique de Tanger can be named as a reoccurring collaboration.
Download high-resolution press images:
QUOTES ABOUT THE SHOW
”Never seen anything like it!” – Le Figaro Scope
”Baffling show, completely without parallel” – Le Berry Républicain
”Pretty and witty” – The Independent
”A warm, inventive and varied show” – Le Temps
”The performers’ daring is beautifully framed by the visual fantasies…” – The Guardian
”…strong technical capability combined with poetic magic” – La Dépêche du Midi
GENERAL INFORMATION
Age: Suits the whole family; 0-120 years!
Length: 55 minutes
Language: Parts of singing in Arabic, otherwise silent
Dates: December 28-30, 2015 and January 2-6, 2016.
Stage: Hangaren Subtopia, in Alby Botkyrka
Tickets & info: www.subtopia.se
ARTISTS
Lamiae El Alaoui
Mustapha Ait Ouarakmane
Adel Chaaban
Mohammed Achraf Chaaban
Abdelaziz El Haddad
Najib El Maimouni Idrissi
Amal Hammich
Mohammed Hammich
Ouahib Hammich
Samir Laaroussi
Yassine Srasi
Younes Yemlahi
Aurélien Bory (regissör)
Sana El Kamouni (director/production)
Jöel Abriac (technical sound)
Cécile Hérault (technical light)
BAZAAR IN MOROCCAN STYLE
Two hours before the show a Moroccan bazaar will be held in Hangaren Subtopia. In the Bazaar’s tent you can eat and drink Morrocan specialties. Purchase and order real Moroccan tiles and other pretty things in Morrocan style. Why not leave, in the December darkness, with a beautiful, personal henna-tattoo? The Bazaar will also be open after the performance.
CONTACT PRESS
Josefina Larsson
josefina.larsson@subtopia.se
+46 73 960 70 48
Subtopia is a spacious suburban paradise in Botkyrka, Sweden. We fill our 15 000 sqm with contemporary circus, film studios, urban art, dance, music and more. Visit us here.
