Danse Macabre | Martin Zimmermann

Without make-up, Martin Zimmermann is reminiscent of Buster Keaton: he has his laconism, his sharp silhouette, his imperturbable suppleness, his unsinkable valour in the face of the wickedness of things. Once made up, he can be reminiscent of a Tim Burton figure, wearing his skeleton on his back, when it is not his severed head in his hands... As soon as he left the National Circus Arts Centre, his first show toured for three years. For more than two decades now, he has been touring the stages of the five continents, in London, Paris, Zurich, Tokyo, New York and Sydney. Danse macabre will be premiered in Basel in mid-August 2021 and is a continuation of his previous shows. This time, Zimmermann has created a sort of island of detritus, set apart from the world. Three castaways of society (played by Zimmermann's favourite accomplices) have found themselves there to cobble together a semblance of a family and try to resist adversity as best they can. How to form a community, how not to let themselves be alienated by the struggle for material survival? There is no shortage of obstacles, because neither beings nor things will let themselves be done. And to make matters worse, a fourth thief circulates among them without their knowledge, enjoying pulling the strings of their destinies. This taunting prankster, visible only to us, this great master of the dump, is none other than Death, played by the director himself... To get out of it despite everything, our three poor heroes have only one weapon, but with Zimmermann, it's a big one: humour, "the laughable side of tragedy", which, amplified "to the point of comedy, makes it possible to overcome it". Project shared with CirQ'Ônflex.