La bulle set for stunning outdoor performance

Early this year at a Huntsville Festival of the Arts summer programming launch event, a short preview of La bulle by Corpus Dance Projects was screened at the Algonquin Theatre.

Immediately I made a note to contact the production company to find out more and chat with the performer who will bring this theatric piece to life in our community.

Guy Marsan, who has been with Corpus for several years, is set to connect and engage the audiences from September 1st through 3rd at Tawingo College as the confined inhabitant of a one-of-a-kind bubble tent that is surrounded 360-degrees by the audience.

Marsan takes on the role of Pierrot, the iconic loner and dreamer, in what can be called a “giant snow globe.” Through mime, dance and even drawing, his goal is to connect with the audience.

Touring since 2021 across the globe, starting in France, the production is currently on a Canadian tour.

Conceived before COVID, the show was already exploring the theme of social distancing before it became a concern for all. This new work also speaks of an equally contemporary paradox: private space in full transparency. 

“We play between connection and loneliness,” explains Marsan. “The way I put it is in these days of social media we put a lot of stuff out there where we’re happy and you see all the beautiful and fun pictures we post online but maybe we turn the phone off and we’re actually quite sad. This character in the bubble quite lonely and he can never quite make the final connection with anyone, which is touch.”

As Marsan also notes, the bubble is as much a part of the performance as his character is.

“It’s such a magical environment,” he says. “The show is at night and it’s lit up with all kinds of different coloured lights. And some lights are hidden in the set, so when they light up it’s like wow, that too! Everything on the set changes and you get sucked into this magical world.”

For tickets to the show, visit: www.huntsvillefestival.ca

Watch the video of our Zoom chat below