Saturday, 28.06., 14-18 Uhr, performances start at 14, 15, 16 and 17 o‘clock

With Songs of Grief, Vanasay Khamphommala opens up a space to prepare for her father’s death by rehearsing Elvis’s song Love me tender, which her father, who was born in Laos and went into exile in France after 1975, requested for his funeral — yet to happen. With breath, silence and voice, she tells a universal story about transmission, loss and gratitude, reflecting on the traditions of her Lao heritage. The audience is invited to participate in the performance with breath, and possibly words and song, while tying bracelets in reference to the Thai-Lao ritual of Baci (which marks a new chapter in someone’s life).

This performance is interactive, and takes place in spoken English, with the possibility to translate into French and German. Admission is free of charge.

BIOGRAPHY

Vanasay Khamphommala (ວັນນະໄຊ ຄໍາພົມມາລາ) is a trained musician and actor. She received a PhD from la Sorbonne, published by Sorbonne University. She translated plays for productions, among them Shakespeare and Anne Carson. Her own plays (Orphée aphone, Vénus et Adonis, Écho) are published by les éditions Théâtrales. With her own theater company chevelü, she produces plays since 2017. Their first production, Invocation of the Muse, was part of the official program of the Festival d’Avignon in 2018. She then created Orphée aphone (2019), Monuments hystériques (2020), and Écho (2022), a worldwide attempt to cure heartache. She also develops a répertoire of performances for non-theatrical spaces, among them I sing for you naked in exchange for a meal (2020), Dian’s Bath (2020), I have no secrets and no underwear (2021), I left my heart at the bottom of my glass (2022).

Photo: Quentin Chevrier