Justices • Clément Papachristou • Théâtre National

It is quite simply the story of those we look away from, those we do not listen to enough.

Artistic note

The fight for the inclusion of people with disabilities cannot ignore certain sensitive issues. What are the principles on which justice is based? Does justice rest on strict egalitarianism? Are there multiple forms of justice? What are the rights and responsibilities of people with disabilities in legal proceedings? When we take the view that a person with a mental disability cannot understand the nature of their actions, nor answer for them in court, isn't this a way for us to maintain the naive image of the "good" person with a disability?

Shifting the gaze

This is undoubtedly the underlying subject of the creation Justice. Inspired by the first plays of Clément Papachristou, it incorporates the exploration of adapted dramaturgies and disabilities of Une tentative presque comme une autre created together with Guillaume Papachristou, who has the disability cerebral palsy, combined with the quest for fiction and wonder of La Grotte (2021). Ultimately, Justice continues further along these lines, the better to move beyond them in candid nuances.

Like an imaginary topography

In Justice, we take inspiration from the epic journey, the poetics of Dante's Divine Comedy, and Peter Weiss' vast yet unfinished project to rewrite Inferno/Purgatorio/Paradiso. Where "the executioners live eternally unpunished in Paradise" and "the victims never obtained compensation in Hell". A man driven by dark forces descends into Hell to bring back justice, freedom and redemption. He is our guide. The court floor opens. We descend into the underworld where the outcasts live. We don't take enough care of them: the judged, the chastised, those driven out by the people who dominate the world from above. This is not a fantasy story. It is quite simply the story of those we look away from, those we do not listen to enough. Isn't the only way to burst the bubbles to come together?!

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Biography

Clément Papachristou is an actor, director and playwright. Since 2022, he has been an associate artist at the Théâtre National Wallonie-Bruxelles. A graduate of the ESACT/ Conservatoire de Liège in 2014, he quickly became interested in inclusive artistic practices for excluded audiences. His work is particularly oriented towards the relationship between the body and collective history. After Almanach, presented in 2017 at the Festival Émulation, he presented Une tentative presque comme une autre together with his disabled twin brother Guillaume in 2020, at the Festival Pays de Danses and the Festival de Marseille. The performance was revived in 2022 at the Théâtre National Wallonie-Bruxelles, and reprised at the Théâtre de Namur, at Mars – Mons Arts de la scène, at the Kinneksbond Mamer Cultural Center in Luxembourg, as well as at Orme festival in Lugano, at the Out of The Box at the Comédie de Genève, at the BewegGrund.Das Festival in Bern and at the Wildwuchs Festival in Basel as part of the IntegrArt Network. His third production, La Grotte, created in 2022 at the Théâtre Varia in Brussels and at the Théâtre de Liège, was revived that same year during Scènes nouvelles at the Théâtre National Wallonie-Bruxelles.

Cast

Création Studio Théâtre National Wallonie-Bruxelles

Concept, Direction and Writing Clément Papachristou
Artistic Collaboration, Performance and Writing Edouardo della Faille, Guillaume Paps, Noémie Zurletti
Set Design and Artistic Collaboration Silvio Palomo
Scenography intern Auriane Leclercq
Dramaturgy and Artistic Collaboration Marie Alié, Salim Djaferi
Costume Design Darius Dolatyari-Dolatdoust
Costumes intern Manon Bery
Lighting Design Ana Samoilovich
Music Composition Joseph Schiano di Lombo
Paintings Guillaume Paps
Legal Advice Germain Haumont
Associated Researcher Marie Astier
Human and artistic support by Edouardo della Faille and Guillaume Paps Valentine Houot
With the support of Ateliers de couture du Théâtre National Wallonie-Bruxelles
A scenographic production by the Pôle de mutualisation de services & ressources techniques

Technical management Florence Dubru
Stage management and technical management on tour Ludovic John
Lighting engineer Arthur Demaret
Sound engineer Jeison Pardo Rojas
Stage management Pierre-Antoine Martin

Workshops carried out alongside the creative process Mue du Lotus as part of a support initiative by Interrégions Grand EST // Brussels-Capital Region, Kinneksbond, Maison de la culture de Tournai, La Bulle Bleue, Teatr21, La Bellone – Maison du Spectacle, Creahmbxl

Production Théâtre National Wallonie-Bruxelles, Compagnie SAINTSGENS – Clément Papachristou
Coproduction Théâtre de Namur, Mars - Mons arts de la scène, Maison de la culture de Tournai - Maison de création, Kinneksbond - centre culturel Mamer, La Bellone – Maison du Spectacle, le Créahm-Liège, La Coop asbl, Shelter Prod

In collaboration with Créahmbxl (Creation and Intellectual Disability)

With the support of The Wallonia-Brussels Federation, General Service for Artistic Creation – Theatre Department, Le Corridor – Liège, Montevideo / Festival Actoral, ICC – International Criminal Court, Le Marteau

Supported by Taxshelter.be, ING, and the Tax Shelter of the Belgian Federal Government

The performance was developed with a research grant Théâtre et Public

Special thanks to Christine Bartolomei, Françoise Bloch, Cie Fany Ducat, Maxime Lacôme, Jean-Baptiste Logerias, Bastien Montes, Miguel Peñaranda Olmeda, Joëlle Shabanov, Olivia Smets, Virginie Vandezande, Marcos Vivaldi, Antoine Bréa, the whole team of Creahm-Liege, the whole team of Créahmbxl, Marieke Jallet

Marin Driguez