ROBERT LEPAGE

Written, directed and interpreted by Robert Lepage, the last show of this eclectic Canadian artist is an unexpected lecture of the imaginary of Hans Christian Andersen on the occasion of the bicentenary of his birth.

Freely inspired from two stories by Andersen (The Dryad & The Shadow) and from anecdotes drawn from the famed Danish author's Parisian travels, the Andersen Project calls on some of Lepage's recurring themes: the confrontation of romanticism and modernism, of recognized and underground art forms, between past and present. In this new solo work, he also explores questions of sexual identity, unfulfilled fantasies and a thirst for recognition and fame that are drawn from Andersen's life and writings, only to serve as a filigree to the modern tale.

Once again, Lepage tells the story of a Québécois, Frederic Lapointe, who travels to Paris on invitation of the opera in order to write a libretto for a children's opera. He meets one of the opera's managers, a young North African artist and a dog who help him find out what defines, motivates and inspires him.