Time shows no mercy. On stage, it leaves its mark on scenery and bodies alike, fracturing brittle façades and challenging even the strongest sense of self. A tragicomic frenzy unfolds where two characters struggle against the inevitable by polishing up the surfaces and filling the cracks. Beneath each attempt at concealment trembles the same unease: How do we cope with growing old? And what will happen after the final curtain falls?

For over twenty-five years, Martin Zimmermann and Sidi Larbi Cherkaoui have been key figures in contemporary circus, dance and theatre. In this first collaboration, they turn their gaze on the effects of transience and reflect on their own artistic mortality with humour and lucidity. Following the logic of decay, the duo playfully dismantles the myth of the «has-been».

Accompanied on stage by composer Alexandre Dai Castaing and musicians and singers Kaspy N’dia and Kazutomi «Tsuki» Kozuki, they create a universe where Swiss Dadaism meets Belgian Surrealism. Here, the laws of nature are defied and movement patterns run wild.

Sidi Larbi Cherkaoui about Martin Zimmermann:

« Working with Martin is an inspiring journey that’s allowing me to rediscover myself as a performer. His fearless approach to the tragicomic brings out a raw honesty that fuses our explorations of movement and emotion. My own practice is grounded in the physical, in gesture and embodiment. When combined with Martin’s tragicomic figures and vivid stage worlds, a dynamic synergy emerges. Together, we’re creating a space where humor and vulnerability intersect, where boundaries shift and real connection becomes possible. It’s a true honor to blend our worlds and see something deeply human take shape from the fusion of our two signatures. »

Martin Zimmermann à propos de Sidi Larbi Cherkaoui:

« I’ve followed Larbi’s career since the very beginning. We started creating our own productions around the same time, both of us very young. I was struck by the eclecticism of his work between theatre and dance, the choreographic signature he developed, and by his bold trajectory. Larbi has always pushed into uncomfortable spaces as a way to unlock creativity—and in that, I recognize something of myself. There’s something deeply shared between us which is why I feel incredibly at ease with him and understood in my work. And yet, our artistic languages are completely different. That’s what makes this collaboration so exciting: I’m truly looking forward to the friction it will generate and the richness of the creative exchange. »