Review: 300 EL X 50 EL X 30 EL at Grand Théâtre

What better way to start 2023 than with a visit to our esteemed Grand Théâtre of Luxembourg? The play that got the year started for us was FC Bergman's 300 el x 50 el x 30 el. This acclaimed Belgian company was founded 15 years ago and has since then developed a bold and unique performative voice, with a strong reliance on an anarchic and almost dadaist delivery style. This show focuses on the inhabitants of a small village in the woods, their interpersonal relations and the disturbing realities of human existence behind closed doors. With a filming crew constantly circling around the small town, we are presented with the best and worst of intimacy, manifested through multiple shades of love, hatred, curiosity, fear and abuse.

The gold: The narrative style. Might be an obvious pick, but FC Bergman was made famous for this very reason. The fact that the filming crew was permanently on the move allowed us to have an even better defined sense of story progression, like a shadow circling around in a time lapse. However, at the same time, the very nature of this lifestyle makes you feel like this could be a perpetual state of affairs. The voiceless acting contributes to the universality and timelessness that the play seeks to achieve, while the humorous and nonsensical episodes highlight the twisted reality of mundane social dynamics. Families, lovers and friends, no one is safe from reflection, satire and even ridicule.

The silver: The atmosphere. Few plays manage to be this immersive. Through a combination of acting, lighting and, above all, a phenomenal scenery, you could hardly not believe these actors were performing next to a real forest. The tree background was simply on point, and the moments of wind and rain made it not only realistic, but eerie. The cabins, half wrecked by time and weather, were each unique in their own way, just like their inhabitants, and managed to make you feel just as uncomfortable as the scenes unfolding behind their doors.

The bronze: The religious theme. While this is not a religious play or theological reflection, there were ever-present religious components, which added both to the narrative and to the atmosphere. From references to Noah's Arc and the biblical deluge, to the symbolism of dead sheep and two crowning musical numbers, God and His judgement can be counted as an element of the play just as much as any actor on stage.

Our thanks to the Grand Théâtre and everyone involved.

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

Image credit: Sofie Silbermann