BABILONIA TEATRI
FOR A POP THEATER.
FOR A ROCK THEATER.
FOR A PUNK THEATER.
Babilonia Teatri burst onto the contemporary theatre scene, known for their unique voice that’s often described as a blend of pop, rock, and punk. Founded in 2005 by Enrico Castellani and Valeria Raimondi, the group creates bold plays – think of them as onstage litanies sculpted from the raw contradictions of our times, delivered with a rebellious spirit. They delve into the underbelly of provincial life, exposing it as a microcosm of universal struggles, tackling sensitive topics with a fearless, almost sacrilegious, approach that resonates deeply with our current anxieties. This courage earned them a prestigious Silver Lion award at the Venice Biennale (2016).
Considered one of Italy’s most vital and groundbreaking experimental theatre groups, Castellani and Raimondi wear many hats – playwrights, directors, and often even actors in their own productions – and have garnered numerous awards along the way.
Babilonia Teatri’s shows are a unique blend of theatrical elements. Their work is all about storytelling, incorporating photography and capturing fragments of reality. They frame our quirks, anxieties, and inner turmoil with a dose of irony, self-deprecation, and a healthy dose of deconstruction. They weave cynicism and love into the fabric of their performances.
Their theatre has been dubbed “pop rock punk” not just for its aesthetic, but also for its desire to be both popular and relevant. They strive to be provocative, not for shock value, but to spark conversations about the issues they raise. Their goal is to directly engage the minds and hearts of the audience, igniting reflection and emotion.
Night Just Before The Forest is a totem we approach with both eagerness and trepidation, to give life to a hand-to-hand combat of words, whispering and shouting them together.
We would not have dared speak Koltès’ words without first having chewed them, digested them and spat them out through our mother tongue: a dirty language, halfway between slang and dialect: the language of the gut, of instinct, of mood, of love, of truth, of the unmediated.
The harshness and poetry of our mother tongue allows us to connect to Koltès: to dirty his words, to assign them a rhythm and a sound that belong to us, the sound of the street, of the outsider, of love.
Two voices for a monologue: one spoken and one signed.
Two voices that oppose each other, then come together and multiply: that become a single voice, in unison, becoming a world.
Two voices in dialogue with a third : the sound of electronic music played live on stage.
A game of mirrors in which different languages intertwine and dialogue with each other.
BABILONIA TEATRI ALLA GUIDA DI PERGINE SPETTACOLO APERTO
“Immaginare un festival per noi significa creare un’opera artistica. Significa mettersi in dialogo con la sua storia e col suo territorio per provare allo stesso tempo a dargli voce e ad esserne elemento di stimolo e di crescita. Vorremmo creare un festival in cui accogliere insieme artisti e pubblico, per metterne il teatro al centro e farne luogo di incontro e di scontro: di scambio reciproco. Un festival che sappia accostare, sovrapporre e intersecare linguaggi, generazioni e tradizioni diverse.”
Night Just Before The Forest is a totem we approach with both eagerness and trepidation, to give life to a hand-to-hand combat of words, whispering and shouting them together.
We would not have dared speak Koltès’ words without first having chewed them, digested them and spat them out through our mother tongue: a dirty language, halfway between slang and dialect: the language of the gut, of instinct, of mood, of love, of truth, of the unmediated.
The harshness and poetry of our mother tongue allows us to connect to Koltès: to dirty his words, to assign them a rhythm and a sound that belong to us, the sound of the street, of the outsider, of love.
Two voices for a monologue: one spoken and one signed.
Two voices that oppose each other, then come together and multiply: that become a single voice, in unison, becoming a world.
Two voices in dialogue with a third : the sound of electronic music played live on stage.
A game of mirrors in which different languages intertwine and dialogue with each other.
BABILONIA TEATRI ALLA GUIDA DI PERGINE SPETTACOLO APERTO
“Immaginare un festival per noi significa creare un’opera artistica. Significa mettersi in dialogo con la sua storia e col suo territorio per provare allo stesso tempo a dargli voce e ad esserne elemento di stimolo e di crescita. Vorremmo creare un festival in cui accogliere insieme artisti e pubblico, per metterne il teatro al centro e farne luogo di incontro e di scontro: di scambio reciproco. Un festival che sappia accostare, sovrapporre e intersecare linguaggi, generazioni e tradizioni diverse.”