NSL

RETAMA

On an island in ruins, Ziar, Thallus, Phyllos and Gumen are building a machine from the remnants of the past. As traces of former inhabitants surface, they encounter the “visitors”, and what begins as an attempt at escape gradually turns into something far more uncertain.

Retama is a stage work rooted in the Bouffon tradition of medieval popular theatre and developed through Jacques Lecoq’s pedagogy. Drawing on satire, grotesque exaggeration and distortion, the piece reflects on persistence under conditions of rupture, where cycles of transformation repeat and underlying structures continue to return in shifting forms. In direct interaction with the audience, the Bouffons create a shared space where laughter and unease continuously overlap.

With
Jonas Matthes
Nans Quétel
Johanna Rex
Matilda Materni

Directed and Written by
Pablo Franchini

Producer
Letizia Rivera

Lighting & Sound
Teddy Larue

Assistants
Manuel Ramos
Juliana Ceballos
Wanda Wahl

Set & Costume Design
Teresa Heiß

Guest** Costume & Make-Up Design
Mariana Mora

Graphic Design
Daniel Adlmüller

Photos
Rebecca Schöler

Acknowledgements: To Alberto Sejas of the Escuela Multidisciplinaria de Arte Dramático in Montevideo, Uruguay, for his mentorship throughout this process. To Hugo Gargiulo and Enrique Badaró for their artistic guidance. To Marco Benzi for composing the soundtrack For Good Luck, used in this project. And sincere thanks to everyone who contributed time, energy, and resources.

**
Thanks to the generous support of Goethe-Institut, we are delighted to welcome Mariana Mora as an international guest artist for the upcoming premiere of RETAMA.
Trained as a theatre designer in Uruguay with a specialization in bouffon theatre, Mariana combines academic expertise with over a decade of professional experience in theatre, film, and the renowned Uruguayan Carnival. Her work as a makeup artist and costume designer explores how visual elements shape the performer’s body and presence on stage. For Mariana, makeup, costumes, and headpieces are essential tools in creating the bouffon’s grotesque and exaggerated form. Rather than decorating a character, they build a scenic anatomyreating a scenic anatomy: each visual intervention amplifies the character’s expressiveness and critical force.

Sprache: Englisch

Duration: 90 minutes

Tickets: Sliding-scale pricing: €13 / €16 / €20 (choose according to your financial means), plus advance booking fee.