Andromaque

Andromaque

Written by Jean Racine
Performed in French
2007–2009

The Trojan War ended in a blaze of shame, a massacre of horrific proportions. Now the children of Troy’s Greek conquerors face the impossible task of living up to their immortalised parents. Hector’s widow, Andromaque, lives only to save her son. When the Greeks demand his surrender, she is given an appalling dilemma. Racine exposes our capacity for self deception with lacerating clarity.

 Produced by C.I.C.T / Théâtre des Bouffes du Nord in a co-production with Théâtre du Nord, Lille and Cheek by Jowl.

The first performance of Andromaque was at Théâtre du Nord, Lille on 4 October 2007.

“Remarkable audacity… absolute clarity… Donnellan is one of the most original directors in theatre today”
Le Figaro

Cast

Name	Character
Camille Cayol	Andromaque
Christophe Grégoire	Pyrrhus
Camille Japy	Hermione
Xavier Boiffier	Oreste
Romain Cottard	Pylade
Dominique Charpentier	Céphise
Cécile Leterme	Cléone
Vincent de Bouard	Phoenix
Sylvain Levitte	Astyanax

Creative Team

Role	Name
Director	Declan Donnellan
Designer	Nick Ormerod
Lighting Designer	Judith Greenwood
Movement Director	Jane Gibson
Music and Sound	Marc-Oliver Dupin
Sound Design	Le Quatuor Beat
Assistant Director	Michelangelo Marchese
Costume Supervisor	Sylvie Martin-Hyszka
Voice	Valérie Bezançon
Hair and Wigs	Séverine Martin
Make-up	Paula Parra

Previous Performances

Date	Location
6–9 May 2009	Coventry, Warwick Arts Centre, UK
22 April–2 May 2009	London, Barbican, UK
1–4 April 2009	Newcastle–upon–Tyne, Northern Stage, UK
25–28 March 2009	Cambridge, Cambridge Arts Theatre, UK
18–21 March 2009	Southampton, Nuffield Theatre, UK
10–14 March 2009	Oxford, Oxford Playhouse, UK
7–24 October 2008	Strasbourg, Théatre National de Strasbourg, France
1–4 October 2008	Sceaux, Les Gémeaux, Paris, France
25–27 September 2008	Ales, Le Cratère–Scène Nationale d’Alès, France
17–20 September 2008	Barcelona, National Theatre, Spain
19–20 May 2008	Chalons–en–Champagne, La Comète, France
14 May 2008	Amiens, Maison de la Culture, France
10–11 May 2008	Almagro, Almagro Festival, Spain
21–22 March 2008	Gap, La Passerelle, France
13 March 2008	Namur, Théatre Royal, Belgium
11–12 March 2008	Brussels, Le Wolubilis, Belgium
8 March 2008	Béziers, Sortie Ouest, France
4–5 March 2008	Petit–Quevilly, Scene Nationale, France
26–27 February 2008	Blois, La Halle aux Grain, France
18–23 February 2008	Geneva, La Comédie, Switzerland
13–15 February 2008	Cergy–Pontoise, L’Apostrophe, France
5–9 February 2008	Grenoble, MC2, France
23–28 January 2008	Caen, Théatre Municipal, France
15–19 January 2008	Évreux–Louviers, Théatre Grand Forum, France
11–12 January 2008	Brétigny sur Orge, Théatre de Bretigny, France
12–19 December 2007	Marseille, Théatre la Criée, France
6 November–8 December 2007	Paris, Théatre des Bouffes du Nord, France
29–30 October 2007	Turin, Teatro Astra, Italy
23–26 October 2007	Rheims, Comedie de Reims, France
16–20 October 2007	Bordeaux, Théatre National de Bordeaux, France
4–12 October 2007	Lille, Théatre du Nord, France

Reviews

“Remarkable audacity… Absolute clarity…Donnellan is one of the most original directors in theatre today”
Le Figaro

“The most anticipated theatrical event of the year… Angry ghosts emerge from dark corners to unleash the pain, raw anger and denial that are bolted into Racine’s tidy rhymes like cluster bombs in the sheath of a shiny artillery shell”
The Guardian

“A thrilling sense of hurtling disaster… If any company was going to breathe compelling dramatic life into this elegant, chilly French stylist with his impeccable rhyming Alexandrine couplets, it was those international maestros Cheek by Jowl. A magnifique evening.”
The Evening Standard

“It’s hard to imagine Andromaque being more fiery or more precise than it is in Cheek by Jowl’s superb production. The lethal loop of these lovers is staged with a stripped-down intensity that mirrors the spareness of Racine’s verse.”
The Observer

Production photo — Photograph: Keith Pattison

Trailer for Cheek by Jowl’s production of Andromaque

Video

Trailer for Cheek by Jowl’s production of Andromaque

“Angry ghosts emerge from dark corners to unleash the pain, raw anger and denial that are bolted into Racine’s tidy rhymes like cluster bombs in the sheath of a shiny artillery shell”
The Guardian

Below the smouldering walls of Troy, the bloody victors divided up their spoils.

Pyrrhus

So, if I can’t love you with passion,
I must hate you with fury.

Andromaque

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Previous Performances

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Below the smouldering walls of Troy, the bloody victors divided up their spoils.

So, if I can’t love you with passion, I must hate you with fury.

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So, if I can’t love you with passion,
I must hate you with fury.