“Cabaret” — Giraffe Royal at Sillart Art Gallery

GIRAFFE ROYAL “CABARET”
Theatre at arm’s length.

At Sillart Art Gallery, the evening’s host—the traditional centrepiece of cabaret—will lead the audience on a journey through worlds and states of being, towards a moment of shared delight. The female clowns will fill the performance with beauty and sensuality…

The programme features performances by Giraffe Royal Theatre, and, of course, improvisation: an open, pure joy for both performer and audience.

At Sillart, a homely atmosphere awaits: a small stage and close contact.

Here is what audience members say:
“…a mind-blowing experience…”
“…he holds the room like no one else. Laughter when he wants to hear it. Applause when he wants it. And silence—an extraordinary silence…”
“…There’s something mystical about it…”
“…Each poem is a small but profound performance…”

About the theatre:
Giraffe Royal is a theatre with a lineage: on one side, the white circus clowning of France’s Madonna Bouglione; on the other, the theatrical philosophy of the Licedei and Slava Polunin. It all began in Leningrad in the 1980s.

Giraffe Royal is a unique phenomenon in world culture. The company’s creative method is rooted in an in-depth exploration of clowning, folklore, pantomime, dance and street theatre—the rare genres in which the living essence of the profession is preserved. Their remarkable impact on audiences comes from combining mastery of these skills with a sharply contemporary stage presentation.

Paris, London, Saint Petersburg, Dublin, Amsterdam, Rome… The Berlin Film Festival’s Golden Bear; first prize in the Classical Ballet Competition; the Blagovest Foundation award for contribution to culture; the TEFI television competition Grand Prix…

Critics write:
“They are unique in their kind, unlike anything else, yet their work has roots in a mystical carnival tradition that grants extraordinary inner freedom.”
“Those who know why they come to this theatre invariably experience catharsis.”
“This is not poetry in the usual sense, but the clown’s poems, where simple words carry the wisdom of eternity—the confession of someone who has travelled an extraordinary path through life.”

A few facts about the author:
He has always written texts, and performed them when they asked to be let out. He developed his own distinctive performance style, described by critics as “mesmerising, moving and beyond comprehension.”

He has been called:
Terry Gilliam (cult film director and one of the founders of Monty Python): the best physical actor in the world.
Andrei Konchalovsky (a classic of cinema and theatre): a completely unique mime.
Slava Polunin (the world’s best clown): a great white clown.

Here is what the poet himself says:

THE QUALITY OF A SMILE
My life is full of stories. Cycles began and ended. Every text came about as a result of something. There were times when I performed at the finest venues on the planet, and times when I had nothing to put on my plate. Fate made me friends with all kinds of people, ordinary and great. Different periods in the work of my soul. Everything I have lived through is within me. And what is a clown? Love is his work. Come. Let’s live through this evening together.

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Places are strictly limited. The intimate format means a small audience. Age restriction: 14+.