© Maarten Vanden Abeele

Le Sous Sol 2007

Le Sous Sol is the final part of Peeping Tom’s first trilogy that had started in 2002 with Le Jardin, followed by Le Salon in 2004.

In Le Sous Sol, the members of the family encountered previously in the trilogy are now dead and buried, but live on underground. They find themselves in a strange world where social codes no longer exist; the family pecking order is ready to be turned upside down. Inspiration came from Dostojevski ‘s Bobok. The deceased characters talk about their death and ask themselves questions about the lives they have lived. The situational humour creates an important contrast. In this piece Peeping Tom brings the ancestors into play even more forcefully than before. An extraordinary addition is the collaboration with the 80-year-old butoh dancer Maria Otal.

Le Sous Sol was collectively created by the performers and premiered on 28 March 2007 in the Royal Flemish Theatre (KVS) in Brussels (BE). The piece toured throughout Europe and Japan from 2007 until 2009.

Tour Dates

March 2007
28BrusselsKVS - Koninklijke Vlaamse Schouwburg
29BrusselsKVS - Koninklijke Vlaamse Schouwburg
30BrusselsKVS - Koninklijke Vlaamse Schouwburg
31BrusselsKVS - Koninklijke Vlaamse Schouwburg
April 2007
11Villeneuve-d’AscqLa Rose des Vents
12Villeneuve-d’AscqLa Rose des Vents
13Villeneuve-d’AscqLa Rose des Vents
17Sint-NiklaasCC Sint-Niklaas
19BrugesCultuurcentrum Brugge
24AmsterdamInternationaal Theater Amsterdam
May 2007
02GroningenSPOT/Stadsschouwburg
10BerchemCC Be
20EindhovenParktheater
24Petit-quévillyThéâtre Le Foudre
30ParisThéâtre de la Ville
31ParisThéâtre de la Ville
June 2007
01ParisThéâtre de la Ville
02ParisThéâtre de la Ville
03ParisThéâtre de la Ville
06ToursThéâtre Olympia
07ToursThéâtre Olympia
08ToursThéâtre Olympia
16UzèsFestival de la Nouvelle Danse
August 2007
11‘S HertogenboschTheaterfestival Boulevard
27BrusselsHet Theaterfestival (BE) / Kaaitheater
28BrusselsHet Theaterfestival (BE) / Kaaitheater
September 2007
05HannoverTanztheater International
October 2007
20ValenceLa Comedie de Valence
23La RochelleCCN La Rochelle
November 2007
17PoznanCentrum Kultury Zamek
December 2007
14BudapestTrafó - House of Contemporary Arts
15BudapestTrafó - House of Contemporary Arts
January 2008
25LimogesThéâtre de l'union
26LimogesThéâtre de l'union
31La Roche-sur-YonLe Grand R
February 2008
07StockholmDansens Hus
08StockholmDansens Hus
March 2008
29Saint-Quentin-en-YvelinesThéâtre de Saint-Quentin-en-Yvelines
April 2008
01RennesThéâtre National de Bretagne
02RennesThéâtre National de Bretagne
03RennesThéâtre National de Bretagne
04RennesThéâtre National de Bretagne
10ForbachLe Carreau
22LeuvenSTUK
25Aix-en-ProvenceLe Pavillon Noir
26Aix-en-ProvenceLe Pavillon Noir
27Aix-en-ProvenceLe Pavillon Noir
May 2008
20TarbesLe Parvis - Scène Nationale
22BoulazacCentre Culturel Agora
June 2008
01CharleroiCharleroi Danses
August 2008
20ZurichGessnerallee
21ZurichGessnerallee
22ZurichGessnerallee
October 2008
22BrusselsKVS - Koninklijke Vlaamse Schouwburg
23BrusselsKVS - Koninklijke Vlaamse Schouwburg
24BrusselsKVS - Koninklijke Vlaamse Schouwburg
25BrusselsKVS - Koninklijke Vlaamse Schouwburg
February 2009
05TokyoSetagaya Public Theatre
06TokyoSetagaya Public Theatre
07TokyoSetagaya Public Theatre
11Le Sous Sol
15MatsumotoMatumoto Performing Arts Centre
18Le Sous Sol
April 2009
26BernAuawirleben
29GenevaFestival La Bâtie
30GenevaFestival La Bâtie
May 2009
01GenevaFestival La Bâtie
28ParisThéâtre de la Ville
29ParisThéâtre de la Ville
30ParisThéâtre de la Ville
June 2009
06Le Sous Sol
July 2009
24KalamataKalamata Dance Festival

Creation and performance
Gabriela Carrizo, Franck Chartier, Samuel Lefeuvre, Maria Otal, Eurudike De Beul

Advice
Simon Versnel

Dramaturgy
Hildegard De Vuyst

Sound design
Juan Carlos Tolosa, Glenn Vervliet

Set design
Yves Leirs

Coproducers
KVS Brussel, Charleroi/Danses, Theatre de la Ville, Trafo Budapest, Scene National de Petit Quévilly-Mont Saint-Aignan

Press

"Sensual, cruel, very humorous."
Shinobu Review  06/02/2009
"The production radiates an endearing warmth and the often acrobatic movements and sour humorous moments are quite charming."
Theatermaggezien  01/08/2007
"Le Sous Sol is fascinating. The piece has an oppressive feel, but at the same time attracts your attention and you’re drawn into the story like a magnet."
8 Weekly  06/05/2007
> More press

Awards and nominations

2007 Selection for the Belgian-Dutch Theaterfestival. From the jury statement:  In Le Sous Sol, dance, theatre and singing pivot seemingly without effort, leading to dance theatre of the most humane of sorts.