As Far As Impossible
©Magali Dougados
Program Information
| Genre | Theatre |
|---|---|
| Dates | 26 April at 14:00, 27 April at 14:00, 28 April at 18:30, 29 April at 14:00 |
| Venue | Shizuoka Arts Theatre |
| Duration | 120 minutes without intermission |
| Language | In French, English and Portuguese with Japanese and English surtitiles |
| Seat | Reserved seating |
| Text and direction | Tiago Rodrigues |
| Production | La Comédie de Genève |
Introduction
This powerful work was created by the director of the Festival d’Avignon in France, the playwright and director Tiago Rodrigues, whose mother is a doctor and father a journalist. After long talks with members of the International Committee of the Red Cross and Médecins sans Frontières — which both try to deliver humanitarian aid in “impossible” areas of the world — Rodrigues draws on their words to reflect the situation on the front lines of today’s seemingly endless global conflicts.
Director’s Profile
Tiago Rodrigues
Tiago Rodrigues has envisioned theatre as a space for human connection and collaboration since starting his career at age 20. Influenced by the Belgian collective tg STAN, he embraced a horizontal, collaborative approach to theatre. In 2003, he co-founded Mundo Perfeito with Magda Bizarro, creating nearly 30 productions performed in over 20 countries. His works have been featured at prestigious festivals such as Festival d’Automne in Paris and kunstenfestivalsdesarts in Belgium. He has also collaborated widely with international artists and taught at renowned schools, including PARTS and La Manufacture.
In addition to theatre, Rodrigues has written scripts, poetry, and essays. His acclaimed works, such as By Heart, Bovary, and Sopro, have earned international recognition and awards. Known for blending real stories with fiction and adapting classics, he emphasizes writing for actors to achieve a poetic transformation of reality. Notable projects include Occupation Bastille in Paris.
Rodrigues has served as artistic director of Lisbon’s Teatro Nacional D. Maria II since 2015 and became director of the Avignon Festival in 2022. In 2021, he staged La Cerisaie with Isabelle Huppert at the Palais des Papes. He remains a bridge-builder in the theatre world, fostering vibrant artistic exchanges.
Cast / Staff
Text and direction: Tiago Rodrigues
Translation: Thomas Resendes
Scenography: Laurent Junod, Wendy Tokuoka, Laura Fleury
Music composition: Gabriel Ferrandini
Lights: Rui Monteiro
Sound: Pedro Costa
Costumes and artistic collaboration: Magda Bizarro
Assistant director: Lisa Como
Set construction: Workshops of Comédie de Genève
With Adrien Barazzone, Beatriz Brás, Baptiste Coustenoble, Natacha Koutchoumov and Gabriel Ferrandini (musician)
Production: La Comédie de Genève
Coproduction: Odéon-Théâtre de l’Europe – Paris, Piccolo Teatro di Milano – Teatro d’Europa, Teatro Nacional D. Maria II – Lisbon, Équinoxe – Scène nationale de Châteauroux, CSS Teatro stabile di innovazione del FVG – Udine, Festival d’Automne à Paris, Théâtre national de Bretagne – Rennes, Maillon Théâtre de Strasbourg – Scène européenne, CDN Orléans – Val de Loire, La Coursive – Scène nationale de La Rochelle
With the support of ICRC – International Committee of the Red Cross and MSF – Doctors Without Borders
Supported by Institut français
Under the auspices of Embassy of France in Japan / Institut français du Japon
Nursery service
Please contact [ticket@spac.or.jp] by 19 April in advance if you would like to use the free nursery service run by volunteers.
【Available in English】
・29 April “As Far As Impossible”
Coverage: 2 to 7 years old
【Services available in Japanese only】
・26 April “As Far As Impossible”
Coverage: 2 to 7 years old
Fee: ¥1,000 per child
Talk
◎Pre-performance talk: Starting 25 minutes before each performance.
Notice
Recommended age: Junior high school students and up.
*For directing reasons, it may be difficult to take you to your seat after the play has started. So, please allow plenty of time to avoid this situation.
Enjoy your festival day!
