Randez – Vous

A performance orchestrated by James Thierrée

With the participation of Lucia Leonardi and Alessio Negro
Costumes: Victoria Thierrée-Chaplin
Set design & lighting: James Thierrée
Costume making: Monika Schwarzl
Technical director / stage manager: Gerd Walter
Lighting manager / stage manager: Samuel Bovet
Sound manager: Guillaume Duguet
Original sound design: James Thierrée
Sound editing: Lucas Colin, Domenico Petillo
Stage crew: Roxane Grallien, Lucia Leonardi, Alessio Negro, Monika Schwarzl, Gerd Walter Stage assistant: Alessio Negro
Production administration: Delphine Leclerc

Production:

La Compagnie du Hanneton With the support of DRAC Bourgogne–Franche-Comté

Victoria, Jean-Baptiste, Aurélia and James Thierrée open their album and revisit fragments of their past performances in a dreamlike journey. An intimate story of circus, theatre and music hall. A family story. From the creation of Cirque Bonjour in 1971 to Cirque Invisible, via La Symphonie du Hanneton, Bells and Spells, Raoul and Murmures des murs, Rendez-vous ignites a firework display of fleeting moments where imagination reigns supreme.

„We could use all sorts of clichés, carefully explain the how and why, tell you that ”Rendez-vous” is a return to our roots, an artistic culmination, a family mise en abyme, or a way of coming full circle. We could speak about transmission, theatrical heritage, lineage, children of the stage, or idealistic performers creating a new kind of circus in the 1970s. We could analyse it all, stage our personal motivations or shared peculiarities, and lay out the many reasons that have led us to share the stage again, decades after that faded family photograph. But we won’t. We will leave it to you to imagine, to dream—or to ignore all of this—so that you can wander more freely with us at the heart of this magic rendez-vous.” James Thierrée

Jean-BaptisteThierréeJe

Born in Paris to a working-
Born in Paris to a working-class family, Jean-Baptiste Thierrée began as a printingapprentice and a prompter at the, before becoming an actor. 

Roger Planchon engaged him from the very creation of the Théâtre de la Cité in 1957.He also worked with Peter Brook and Jean-Marie Serreau. At the age of 25, he foundedhis own company and created five productions in three years: The Knight of theBurning Pestle by Beaumont and Fletcher at the Théâtre du Grand Guignol, TheGovernment Inspector by Gogol at the Centre Dramatique de l’Ouest, L’Auberge desAdrets at the Porte Saint-Martin, Cami Chaval in collaboration with Chaval at theComédie de Paris, and Midi moins cinq by Jacques Sternberg and Ylipe at the Opéra ofLiège

In cinema, he notably worked with Alain Resnais on Muriel, Jacques Baratier onDragées au poivre and Pièges, and Federico Fellini on I Clowns. In 1968, he turnedtoward the circus.

Victoria Thierrée-Chaplin and Jean-Baptiste Thierrée met in 1969. Over thirtyyears, they created three shows: Cirque Bonjour, Cirque Imaginaire, and, since 1990,Cirque Invisible.

Jean-BaptisteThierréeJean-Baptiste ThierréeBorn in Paris to a working-class family, Jean- g an actor.an-Baptiste

Victoria Thierrée-ChaplinVictoria

In 1970, Victoria Chaplin met the     
In 1970, Victoria Chaplin met the actor and director Jean-BaptisteThierrée. Together, they dreamed of a different kind of circus and createdCirque Bonjour at the Avignon Festival in 1971. 

Victoria and Jean-Baptiste Thierrée then developed a more personal approach to circus arts, giving great importance to phantasmagoria. WithCirque Imaginaire, they perform alone on stage, accompanied by their twochildren, Aurélia and James. 

Becoming Cirque Invisible, the family performs on stages across the fivecontinents. In 2003, Victoria Thierrée Chaplin created L’Oratorio d’Aurélia with Aurélia Thierrée, a highly successful show, followed by Murmures desmurs in 2011. Bells and Spells is her third opus.

AuréliaThierréeAurélia Thierrée

Aurélia Thierrée made her first stage appearances in her parents’ productions, LeCirque Imaginaire and Le Cirque Invisible. She has worked in Berlin in several cabarets and collaborated with the Tiger Lillies in their show Tiger LilliesCircus. In cinema, she has worked with or appeared in films by directors such asMiloš Forman and Jacques Baratier.

In L’Oratorio d’Aurélia, created by Victoria Thierrée-Chaplin, Aurélia made her debut in 2003; the show has been presented worldwide: in the United States(including the Berkeley Repertory, La Jolla Playhouse, McCarter Theater, andAmerican Repertory Theater), as well as in numerous European theatres (in Paris atthe Théâtre du Rond-Point and the Théâtre des Abbesses; and in London at the LyricTheatre for two consecutive seasons), in Asia, Brazil, and Australia…

This was followed by Murmures des murs, and then Bells and Spells, presented inFrance, Italy, Brazil, and England, in London.

JamesThierréeJames

A 360° artist, James Thié rré e traveled as a child along the roads of the CIRQUE IMAGINAIRE created by his parents, Victoria Chaplin and Jean Baptiste Thié rré e. There, he learned acrobatics, trapeze, music, dance, and pantomime, while also beginning an acting career under the direction of Peter Greenaway, Bob Wilson, Coline Serreau, Claude Miller, Toni Gatlif..

In 1998, he founded the Compagnie du Hanneton, which would take its creations around the world for an audience of all ages and imaginations.

LA SYMPHONIE DU HANNETON - LA VEILLÉE DES ABYSSES - AUREVOIR PARAPLUIE - RAOUL - TABAC ROUGE - LA GRENOUILLE AVAIT RAISON - FRÔLONS - ROOM.

James Thié rrée has received numerous awards, including 7 Molières and a César.

Supported by the French Ministry of Culture – Drac Bourgogne-Franche- Comté and anthéa, Antipolis Théâtre d’Antibes