Agnès Limbos - Cie Gare Centrale (Belgium)

Agnès Limbos and Gregory Houben collaborate since Ô!. From this show Troubles was born and both shows were presented at FIMFA (2008, 2010). In Ressacs, they sign the third part of the comic and tragic adventures of the newly married Troubles couple, or how having the crisis and over-indebtedness as a backdrop, the story of a lost couple can portray the current society, where extremism gain prominence. In addition to humour, a critique to the consumer society, the excesses of capitalism and colonialism. Unmissable!

^{"It is amazing what some objects can tell when they are treated with humour and like a score. Ressacs is an object theatre full of humour and out of the ordinary, that says a lot with very little and transgresses the gravity of a tragic destiny a priori. A tragic and comic show by Compagnie Gare Centrale (...). Through the somewhat absurd fate of the two figures, we are immersed in the colonial tragedy, in the frantic rush for power and how to obtain it. Very well done."
-Blanche Tirtiaux, Demandez le programme}

^{"A fantasy tsunami hit the Théâtre Nacional with Ressacs by Agnès Limbos and Gregory Houben. Actors, storytellers and manipulators of their miniature world, the two creators, who do not take themselves too seriously, animate a surrealist universe that reflects a consumer society that is adrift. Poetic and full of humour, Ressacs takes the audience on board for one hour, which passes like a dream."
-Lise Ange, Théâtrorama}

^{"In Ressacs (****) by Compagnie Gare Centrale of Belgium, the brilliant and much-honoured Belgian maker-performer Agnès Limbos and her stage partner Gregory Houben become a couple who represent western civilisation at its most fragile and aggressive.
Sitting at a little table peopled by simple objects, they conjure up a series of worlds, as the couple first lose their conventional suburban way of life, then wash up on a desert island which they begin to dominate and exploit like a colonial queen and emperor, and finally get into fossil fuels in a big way, until everything blows up in their faces. What a pair of darlings they are, these archetypal first world characters; and yet how utterly lethal (...)."
-Joyce McMillant, The Scotsman}

^{"In a peculiar and burlesque way, Agnès Limbos and Gregory Houben make a critique to our society of exceeded consumption and identify the disastrous consequences of the subprime crisis which led many to bankruptcy(...) Creative, fresh and full of humour. “
Muriel Hublet, Plaisir d’offrir}

BIO

Agnès Limbos is regarded as “the popess of object theatre” for her singular work. She was born in Huy, Belgium, in 1952, and spent part of her childhood in Africa. She discovered the miniature objects given away with Bonux washing powder. She studied Political Sciences and Philosophy, but she preferred the streets of the world to the University. Agnès began a personal journey that led her to the École Internationale de Théâtre Jacques Lecoq in Paris from 1977 to 1979, to Mexico, from 1980 to 1982, and founded the company Gare Centrale in Brussels in 1984. Through the company's performances and collaborations, Agnés Limbos attempts to make quality People's Theatre, full of feelings, beginning with an understanding of the universe's contradictions, fantasy/reality, tragedy/comedy, the power of instinct, and the search for an ever-evolving visual and corporeal language. In short, to create living, entertaining, touching and convivial performances. From 2002 to 2008, in partnership with the Théâtre de la Balsamine, she organised an international festival around the object theatre in Brussels, in the form of a biennial event. Her shows have been seen in numerous theatre festivals and have been presented in over 25 countries. She works as a writer, actor, director, teacher and mentors young creators throughout their artistic process. 
Her shows have been presented several times at FIMFA and she has directed three workshops in the frame of Funicular Project, an international training programme organized by A Tarumba.

^CREDITS

^{Creation and performers: Agnès Limbos, Gregory Houben Outside eye and collaboration during writing: Françoise Bloch Music: Gregory Houben Scenography: Agnès Limbos Lighting design: Jean Jacques Deneumoustier Costumes: Emilie Jonet Ironwork design and creation: Sébastien Boucherit Visuals effects: Alice Piemme under a sky by Antoine B. Technician: Nicolas Thill, Thom Luyckx (in alternance) Technical direction: Nicole Eeckhout Technical assistant on rehearsals: Gaëtan van den Berg, Alain Mage Construction assistance: Didier Caffonnette, Gavin Glover, Julien Deni, Nicole Eeckhout Special effects: Nicole Eeckhout Photography: Alice Piemme Administration and production: Sylviane Evrard Coproduction: Lindenfels Westflügel, Internationales Produktionszentrum für Figurentheater (Leipzig, Germany), TJP - Centre Dramatique National d’Alsace-Strasbourg, Théâtre de Namur Support: TANDEM Arras-Douai, Théâtre National (Brussels), Mouffetard - Théâtre des Arts de la Marionnette (Paris), l’ANCRE - Charleroi, Festival Mondial des Théâtres de Marionnettes de Charleville-Mézières, Fédération Wallonie-Bruxelles - Sevice du Théâtre}