Stefan Kaegi, Rimini Protokoll

This is not an embassy (Made in Taiwan)

TheatrePerformance
MC93 – Maison de la culture de Seine-Saint-Denis
novembernov 14 – 17
1/3

French premiere

1h45

In English and Mandarin, with French and English surtitles

Prices € 8 to € 30
Subscribers € 8 to € 22

MC93 – Maison de la culture de Seine-Saint-Denis

Thursday november 14

20h00

Friday november 15

20h00

Saturday november 16

18h00

Sunday november 17

15h00

Conceived and directed by Stefan Kaegi (Rimini Protokoll). Dramaturgy and assistant director Szu-Ni Wen. With Chiayo Kuo, Debby Szu-Ya Wang, David Chienkuo Wu. Scenography Dominic Huber. Video Mikko Gaestel. Music Polina Lapkovskaja (Pollyester), Debby Szu-Ya Wang, Heiko Tubbesing. Research Taïwan Yinru Lo. Video footage Philip Lin. Lighting design Pierre-Nicolas Moulin. Co-dramaturgy Caroline Barneaud. Assistant director Kim Crofts. Assistant scenography Matthieu Stephan. Production Europe Tristan Pannatier (Théâtre Vidy-Lausanne). Production Taïwan Mu Chin (NTCH). 

Production Théâtre Vidy-Lausanne ; National Theater & Concert Hall (Taipei)
Coproduction Rimini Apparat (Berlin) ; Berliner Festspiele ; Volkstheater Wien ; Centro Drámatico Nacional (Madrid) ; Zürcher Theater Spektakel ; National Theatre Drama – Prague Crossroads Festival ; Festival d’Automne à Paris

The Festival d’Automne à Paris is co-producer of this show and present it in co-realisation with the MC93 – Maison de la culture de Seine-Saint-Denis. 

Rimini Protokoll's roving director Stefan Kaegi takes us, in the company of three native performers and residents, to the island of Taiwan. The fictional element of this show, in which the onstage action filmed live takes us through the twists and turns of a miniature décor, points to a somewhat grotesque geopolitical reality.

Is it possible for theatre to play a role within the field of diplomacy? Without a doubt, this is the underlying question in This is not an embassy (Made in Taiwan). With each new project, Swiss director Stefan Kaegi, member of the Rimini Protokoll collective, takes us on a journey through a different political landscape. In this instance, the situation in Taiwan, one of the most advanced democracies in Asia, renders the use of fiction unavoidable. This island state which lives in the shadow of China struggles to gain recognition for its independence by countries with whom it has highly-developed trading links. By means of scenes filmed live in a miniature decor and projected on a large screen, the three Taiwanese nationals, an activist, a former diplomat and a musician, conjure up an ephemeral embassy. At the crossroads between historical reconstruction and action-packed blockbuster, this show co-produced by the National Theatre of Taipei, is based partly on their own biographies.

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