MALEBRANCHE

by
Synopsis

MALEBRANCHE — Harleking multitude is a choreography for 5 performers born from materials developed in Harleking, originally created by and for the duo Panzetti/Ticconi.

The character of Harleking, multiplied and transformed by the interpreters of T.H.E, draws its roots from the Arlecchino (Harlequin) of the Commedia dell’arte (comedy of the profession)1. A devious, witty servant, he is moved by primal instincts, a desire to attain the power that he simultaneously mocks, and an insatiable hunger. The Arlecchino evoked here shares ancient demonic roots with his distant predecessor Alichino, a devil from the demon group Malebranche in Dante Alighieri’s Inferno².

Characteristics in the choreography reminiscent of ancient grotesques on buildings — extravagant, interlaced volutes of human and animal figures amidst curving foliage elements — support the construction of an ambiguous and mutable character. The language of the work possesses a hypnotic quality in which extreme and opposing contents merge into a system that confuses and surprises. In these persuasive transformations, the unsettling reveals itself unexpectedly, only to be veiled once more. This fluidity mirrors the slick force of communication, alongside which repetition and mutation are close companions. The figures, which although can evoke amusement, do not elicit any joy.


MALEBRANCHE — Harleking multitude was presented as part of Elusive (2024)

World Premiere:
June 2024, Elusive,DBS Foundation Outdoor Theatre, Esplanade - Theatres on the Bay, Singapore

 
Credits

Choreography
Ginevra Panzetti

Performers
Klievert Jon Mendoza, Haruka Leilani Chan, Chang En, Jhou Han-Wei, Carmelita Nuelle Buay

Sound Designer
Demetrio Castellucci

Rehearsal Assistant
Fiona Thng

Costume Coordinator
Loo An Ni

Lighting Designer
Adrian Tan

Photo by Bernie Ng
Photo by Kuang Jingkai
Photo by Kuang Jingkai
Photo by Kuang Jingkai

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