Review: THE QUEST at Grand Théâtre

One of the last shows of this season was The Quest, by Cédric Eeckhout. A unique take on the history of the European Union and the concepts of family and togetherness, from the eyes of an artist that finds great similarities between his own life and some of the most important dates of the European project. The performance featured Eeckhout himself, the main voice of the show, who resorted to a mix of story-telling and stand-up comedy to deliver a message of struggle and hope for the future of the EU and collective happiness. He was joined on stage by his mother and his cat, Jesus, who supported his delivery and joined him on several group numbers.

The gold: Jesus. Not an actual cat, but rather someone in a suit, Jesus was one of the most entertaining elements of the show. Dancing, singing, reacting and even peeling potatoes, the fluffy giant added an additional layer of humor to the event. While far more related to the life of the author than the references of the EU, his contribution for the overall performance and message was still quite notorious.

The silver: Adele's song. Eeckhout's adaptation of Adele's Hello hit the right nerves, as a reaction to the UK's decision to leave the European Union. The lyrics could have used some refinement, but the message it was trying to pass was very much on point, and it seemed to fit both the European divorce and episodes of the actor's life.

The bronze: Belgium fries for everyone. The ideal ending to a play that did not take itself very seriously and relied heavily on casual humour and approachable interactions with the audience. We had never seen a show wrapping up with the distribution of fries to the audience and I suspect it will be a while until we experience it again.

Many thanks to the group and to the Grand Théâtre for another great night.

To reach out to the writer: nuno.de.sousa.lopes@gmail.com

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