Karrasekare

“‘…An uncontrollable “ritual” that frenetically spreads from the stage to the audience. All those “artifacts” and references from their original cultures erupt and ignite each other on stage, in a truly explosive mix rarely seen in theater today.”Gianfranco Capitta, IL MANIFESTO

 

 

Karrasekare (2023, Rome)

Moreno Solinas
Choreographer & Performer

Igor Urzelai Hernando
Choreographer & Performer

Margherita Elliot
Performer & Rehearsal Director

Giulia Vacca
Performer

Marcella Mancini
Performer

Alessio Rundeddu
Performer

Matteo Sedda
Performer

Simon Ellis
Dramaturg

Edoardo Robert Elliot
Original Music, Sound Design & Sound Technician

KASPERSOPHIE
Set, Costume and Props Designers

Joshie Harriette
Lighting Designer

Laurie Loads
Lighting Technican and Re-lighter

Matteo Maragno
Stage Manager (on tour)

Giovanni Spada
Stage Manager (creation)

Misha Benjamin
Rigger

Davide Pisano
Project Producer

Anna Paola Della Chiesa
Project Administrator

Karrasekare is the latest work by Igor x Moreno and is inspired by the Basque and Sardinian pagan carnival traditions.

The work draws from pre-christian rituals: it looks back at a time when the beginning of Spring was not called carnival*, yet; a time in which the Spring Solstice called for a celebration of the flesh.

Karrasekare revisits the past to enter the future. It uses traditional rhythms – the same ones that have accompanied our dances for centuries – to create free, fluid and queer identities. It unroots these pagan rituals from their original context – the streets, the squares – to re-imagine them inside a black box.

Filled with the danger of dancing, singing and drinking together, Karrasekare channels the energy of a folk festival and rubs agains our sense of prudishness.

* the word ‘carnival’ (from latin ‘remove meat’) referred originally to the Christian practice of abstaining from meat during Lent.

TRAILER

Produced by S’ALA and The Place;

Co-produced with Theatre De La Ville, Fuorimargine, Romaeuropa, Bora Bora andTheatrefestival Boulevard;

In collaboration with Toscana Terra Accogliente (with residencies at Anghiari Dance Hub and Armunia, and funding from Fabbrica Europa), HKD – Croatian Cultural Centre;

Co-commissioned by Cambridge Junction with support from the Stobbs New Ideas Fund; Supported by the Italian Cultural Institute in London and NID Platform;
Sponsor: Viale s.r.l.;

Created and toured thanks to funding from MiC – Italian Ministry of Culture’s Directorate General for Performing Art, Regione Autonoma Della Sardegna, Fondazione Di Sardegna and Arts Council England.

PRESS

“It is rare to see a work in which the origin of place is so well embedded in the artistic outcome.”Ariadne Mike, SPRINGBACK MAGAZINE
“An impressive poetry about the transience of humanity and all the rituals we create to feel in control during the time in which we are here.”Lita Domino, KULTURNYT ✭✭✭✭✭
“A show that uncovers worlds, showing restless and alert souls and preparing us for a journey towards another time, the time of a non-regimented Carnival, untamed by capitalist consumerism. A complex, layered, powerful work, open to many interpretations and with excellent performers.”Paolo Ruffini, LIMINA TEATRI
“[Igor x Moreno] have created a deliciously dark and visceral production that draws on Basque and Sardinian traditions, a joyful celebration of all things carnal. Karrasekare (the Sardinian word for Carnival) is eighty minutes of pure delight, bringing together brilliantly original choreography, gruelling performance and clever design. Full of surprises, the show moves seamlessly from gloomy stillness to chaotic misrule.”Jo Beggs, The Reviews Hub ✭✭✭✭
“Karrasekare is not merely a performance to be watched; it is an experience to be felt deeply and pondered long after it ends. Karrasekareis a remarkable piece of contemporary performance art. It challenges, provokes, and mesmerises, pushing the boundaries of comfort and convention. The production is a testament to the power of art to evoke emotion, spark conversation, and challenge societal norms.”Jadar, Robiful ✭✭✭✭
“Not for the faint-hearted.”Siobhan Murphy, THE STAGE
“Irresistible and captivating, beautiful to watch and worthy of every reflection.”Gianfranco Capitta, IL MANIFESTO
“For Igor x Moreno, movement is the main path to escape the solitude of the individual, movement is sociality, it is coming together for a secular and blood-soaked celebration of life.”Carlo Lei, KRAPP'S LAST POST
“Igor x Moreno’s Carnival recalls something trans-generational. [It is] the staging of that intangible heritage that unites peoples and communities across geographical boundaries and personal narratives. And it does all this not only by reproducing carnival, but by overturning it, taking it to the extreme of its physicality, finding the mystical dimension of the body, digging into the ancient, sometimes into the crude, but always through a bold and brilliant truth.”Elena Ricci, SIPARIO
“[Karrasekare’s] bold and provocative nature, and relentless exploration of pagan traditions makes it standout piece that is a testament to the power of dance to confront and provoke, offering a surrealistic experience that lingers long after the final note has faded.”Paul Schofield, CANAL STREET MEDIA
“Karrasekare translates [Igor x Moreno]’s respective ancient cultures into carefully orchestrated anarchy, replete with stagey feeling and pagan Carnival props (horned hats, animal furs, handmade masks, dunes of fabric). Karrasekare (Carnival, in Sardinian) is at once earthy and faraway, body-friendly and baroque, cathartic and voyeuristic.”Apollinaire Scherr, AIR MAIL
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