End of Humanity

End of Humanity is the fourth collaboration between Neither Nor (Norway) and Scènes Théâtre Cinéma (France).

End of Humanity is not about the end of the world, of civilization, or of the human species. It is about how we can experience, as individuals, our own humanity being overwhelmed by a deluge of thoughts and emotions. A single, unanswered sms is the catalyst for an uncontrollable flood of words. Throughout the performance, David Mambouch's script is spoken simultaneously by three women in three different languages (English, French and Italian). The result is an amalgam of words, meanings and sonorities – part speech, part music – reflecting our inner voices' complexity.

David Mambouch's text is a rapid, accelerating, downhill descent, which the on-stage action follows. One voice (the script) becomes three (the onstage actors), eventually expanding to an onscreen multiplicity. Almost all the text is prerecorded and mixed by Thorolf Thuestad, with the onstage actors lip-(a)synching, their actions, which are also driven by the rhythm of the soundtrack. The staging also takes into account the particular skillsets of each of the three live performers: Laura Frigato – dancer; Alwynne Pritchard – singer and performer; and Anne Ferret – actress.

End of Humanity premiered with a nine-show run at Théâtre de la Renaissance from January 31 to February 9, 2023.

After the large-scale project Underground (presented by BIT Teatergarasjen at Cornerteateret, Bergen in 2019) the two companies have now created a piece with only seven key participants: Philippe Vincent (Director), David Mambouch (script), Thorolf Thuestad (sound/composition), Benjamin Lebreton (scenography) and Alwynne Pritchard, Anne Ferret and Laura Frigato (actors).

Supported by: Bergen Kommune, Fond for Lyd og Bilde.