Hourvari

Published on 22 October 2024

This far-reaching show has been constructed like a folktale with a cast of enigmatic characters who blur the audience’s perception of what’s real and what’s not. Created by the renowned Compagnie Rasposo, Hourvari takes a close look at our world that is torn between artifice and authenticity, illusion and reality.

In French, the word “hourvari” refers to a maneuver used by wild animals being hunted: they trace back on their own tracks to mislead the dogs.

The word also evokes confusion, disorder, unexpected difficulties, a hullabaloo, a loud noise, a din, a racket, confusion, or chaos.

What’s more, hourvari can also mean a violent gust of wind, a storm, a tempest.

With its powerful images and theatrical staging, this performance questions the transient nature of life, the passage of time, our vanities, and our intoxications, all while celebrating the beauty of existence.

Marie Molliens has followed in her family’s footsteps. From an early age, she performed for the Rasposo company, which was founded by her parents. Trained at the Academic Fratellini circus school, she became artistic director of the Compagnie Rasposo in 2012. With its roots in the street arts, the company prides itself on a lively, powerful, and radical form of circus-theatre that is performed exclusively under a big top.