Peacock Theatre, London
January 31, 2025
Having seen a great deal of theatre over many years, I can say with some certainty that I have never seen anything quite like Dimanche. Or more accurately, never experienced anything like Dimanche. While there is no dance as such involved, there is a great deal of wonderful movement, mime and puppetry.
The piece is set in the near future of a climate affected world, and shows us two different scenarios: wildlife reporters trying to capture the last three remaining species on Earth, and a family trying to maintain their normal in the face of impending ecological wipe-out. Technology is used to great effect to reproduce Antarctic conditions, a house being destroyed by a storm bringing tornadoes and tsunamis, and survival on and under inundation.
The three performers, Julie Tenret, Sicaire Durieux and Sandrine Hayraud, are outstanding in every respect. Compagnie Focus, established by Tenret, creates shows that combine theatre of objects, puppets, actors and video. Chaliwaté, founded twenty years ago by Durieux and Hayraud, champion a visual language without words, drawing on gestural and object theatre, circus and dance. In Dimanche, it all comes together, clever use of film, puppetry and mine, combining to create an immersive feel. Tenret also wrote the work, directing it with skill, vision, and a piercing clarity.
The puppets, created by Emmanuel Chessa, Aurélie Deloche and Gaëlle Marras are magnificent. A polar bear and her cub, and an old woman were all but alive.
Tenret takes the audience through every emotion. There are searingly sad moments, not least when the polar bear cub is swept away from her mother on an ice floe, frightening moments, and very funny moments.
The soundtrack, created by Brice Cannavo, adds past pop hits under the genuine sounds of raging storms and splitting ice. The set, constructed by Tenret and Sébastien Munck, transforms from models being manipulated into the real thing, while the lighting, also Cannavo, plunges the audience in and out of the fear zone throughout.
There are of course, more credits for different technical effects, and they should all take credit for what is a stunning and outstanding piece of theatre.
Dimanche was presented as part of MimeLondon 2025.