David Sousa Lopes - Page 4

Last week, the Grand Theatre of Luxembourg welcomed the show I C O N, an interesting work reflecting on the role of beauty and the desire for recognition in the way we see ourselves and in how the individual reacts to major riddles of existence.

Perhaps the nostalgia of knowing that this is the last show we will be reviewing in 2018 is weighing in this statement, but when I walked out of the Kinneksbond two days ago, I truly felt like they had saved the best for last. On the 20th of December, our lovely venue hosted A Simple Space, a show by the renowned circus company Gravity and Other Myths.

On the 15th of December, the Kinneksbond opened its doors to the Christmas magic of Wien Bleibt Wien, produced and presented by the Habsburg Strauss Orchestra, under the direction of Jeroen Weierink.

On the 7th and 8th of December, the Kinneksbond welcomed the classic The Nutcracker, a timeless masterpiece that has delighted hundreds of thousands around the globe since it was first produced in 1892. This delightful version of the Casse-Noisette, as it is better known in the francosphere, was put together by the Opera-Theatre de Metz Metropole and featured many of the best artists currently performing in the Grande Region.

From the 27th to the 29th of November, the Grand Theatre delighted Luxembourg with the lovely play Abigail's Party. Comedies in English are not that common around the Grand Duchy, so it was no surprise to learn that all three performances were sold out weeks before the opening night.

Last Tuesday, the acclaimed opera A Quiet Place, written by American composer Leonard Bernstein, was presented at the Grand Theatre of Luxembourg, featuring an impressive cast and many talented musicians.

On the 15th of November, the Kinneksbond received an interesting version of Georg Buchner's Lenz, a pivotal text that helped shape the early decades of German modernism. Very few literary works from its time have focused so openly on depression, degrading mental health and the weight of loneliness and social isolation on the human mind as Lenz, making it no easy challenge to present this work as a play.

Last night, we had the opportunity to watch the dress rehearsals of 'Young Frankenstein', the most recent project of Pirate Productions. Unlike most events we have covered so far in Luxembourg, this is the work of a company composed entirely by residents of the Grand Duchy, so we finally got a chance to see what this small nation has to offer.

Hofesh Shechter's critically acclaimed Political Mother made a stop in Luxembourg last Tuesday and delighted the audience with a fantastic mixture of sound, light and movement. Shechter built on the success of his previous works, Uprising (2006) and In Your Rooms (2007) and provided a unique take into the world of politics and the relation between the people, their leaders and the concepts of political numbness and representation.

One of the most renowned plays in human history. It is hard to meet someone who has not at least heard of the name Othello and, while it is not an obvious favourite among the Shakespearean classics, it does focus on topics that speak directly to our hearts. Luxembourg was, therefore, lucky to host Aurora Fattier's version of this masterpiece.

When they tell you that Verdi's La Traviata is coming to town, you cannot expect anything other than a sold out show. The acclaimed theatre and visual artist Robert Wilson was responsible for the staging and lighting and, as usual, he helped to create a show that was absolutely unique.

There are some days when you feel like playing the piano is the easiest thing in the world. Last Wednesday, the Kinneksbond cultural centre welcomed Romain Souchon, a young pianist of notable talent, who played several interesting versions of well-known classics. There are times when you watch a performer and realize that you could never do what they are doing. Yet there are other times, when we reach such a level of grace and lightness that things simply seem natural.

On the 28th of September, the Kinneksbond presented to the public the show Pss Pss, an original performance devised by Simone Fassari and Camilla Pessi. The duo created the acclaimed Compagnia Baccala after years of theatre and circus experience, and have performed this number more than 700 times in over 50 countries.

Luxembourg has welcomed a variety of interesting shows over the last months, but it has been a while since the public had a chance to see something as great as this version of The Beggar's Opera. This famous masterpiece devised by John Gay and Johann Christoph Pepuschm, who some claim to have defined our modern understanding of musical theatre, is often subject to small adaptations, in order to better fit a certain decade or national context. In this version, Robert Carsen and Ian Burton made the choice to set the play in modern Britain, using 21st century costumes and writing references to today's social and political environment.

On September 15th, the Grand Theatre of Luxembourg had the pleasure of presenting a performance by the National Ballet Company of Portugal. This was a one-night-only event, directed by João Penalva and choreographed by Rui Lopes Graca. In this memorable night, men and women of all ages and nationalities got together to see a remarkable and graceful combination of movement, sound and light.

On 17 June, the admirable Quinta da Ribrafria in the outskirts of Lisbon delighted the public with a creative and though-provoking version of Beauty and the Beast. The play was directed and written by João Ascenso, who chose to diverge from the classic Disney format we have come to know, and develop something closer to the original tale, with a stronger emphasis on mythical and philosophical themes.

The concert that everyone has been talking about. On July 9th, Luxembourg welcomed for the first time the Icelandic rock band Kaleo, which has gained significant international attention since 2016. Iceland is really making a name for itself in the music scene, and Kaleo is clearly one of the major pillars of this well-deserved reputation.

Luxembourg is not known its Shakespearean theatre, so you know you will catch the attention of the public when you advertise that Julius Caesar is coming to town. On 25 June, the castle of Bourglinster welcomed the TNT Theatre Company for a one-day-only rendition of the famous play. A thought-provoking masterpiece that makes one reflect about major questions of politics and society. Does the most virtuous of men deserve to rule with unlimited power? Can the ignorant and impressionable be trusted to make the right decisions, or will they eventually lead their country to ruin?

This Friday, 15 June, Luxembourg saw its capital host the festival known as Fete de la Musique, a national event that lasts six days and which welcomes to the streets countless musicians and bands. Most of the performances took place in the centre of Luxembourg City, yet four other neighbourhoods had their own points of interest, bringing the total number of stages up to twenty-six. The Grand Duchy might be small but, for what it lacks in size, it makes up in a vibrant and outgoing international community.