EDIT KALDOR

C'est du chinois*

2010

* French expression, meaning “it's all Greek to me” (literally "it's Chinese"), a phrase indicating that something is impossible to understand. The equivalent of this idiom in Mandarin is (literally “sounds like Mars language”).

On stage: 5 Chinese citizens, determined to open up to the public. The only language they speak is Mandarin, but they are convinced this should not stand in the way of an fruitful exchange with the audience.

Using the possibilities of theatrical representation, they teach us basic oral comprehension of the Mandarin language, just enough to understand the gradually unfolding narrative: that of a family under pressure, eager to leave old troubles behind and start a new life in a strange country.

In essence C’est du chinois is about communication. Communication that is impossible, but through the common effort of players and spectators working together, it comes into being. Starting at zero, they create something together - the possibility of a personal encounter, of an intimate face-to-face meeting.

C’est du chinois premiered in June 2010 at Alkantara Festival in Lisbon.