La FabricA, Avignon
Bausch’s 1978 classic is presented six times, interspersed with memories of the performers, in this epic treatment by Boris Charmatz
Since Pina Bausch’s death 15 years ago, the peerless German choreographer’s company Tanztheater Wuppertal has been beset with speculation about its future. The persistent question is not merely how to keep the flame of her uncanny dance-theatre burning but how to transcend the art of revival (no matter how meticulously undertaken) and push forwards, by combining her singular vision with those of new choreographers.
Bausch’s 50-odd creations are predominantly potent enough to escape categorisation as museum pieces anyway. But Boris Charmatz, who has led the company since 2022, has served up a daring new treatment of her 1978 masterpiece Café Müller which delivers and deconstructs the 45-minute piece. Charmatz’s adventurous framework for Forever honours the spirit of her sprawling later works while also satisfying the Avignon festival’s appetite for epic event theatre. Over a seven-hour period, Café Müller is presented six times, by changing casts, with half-hour interludes in between that allow the dancers to offer their memories of Bausch, present isolated sections of her choreography, and share new movement material. Viewers are invited to watch from the beginning or to join at three later time slots.
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