They reverse roles, turn the existing order upside down, disobey instructions. They are anarchic and wonderful. They are uproarious and mysterious. They are wild and exquisite. They are all Louise.
In a probing and peculiar laboratory, absurd things unfold: experiments of all kinds are conducted with human matter. Four artists (Bérengère Bodin, Marianna de Sanctis, Rosalba Torres Guerrero and Methinee Wongtrakoon) take turns in playing the roles of leader, of office boss, and of guinea pig, patient and slave to all in this place where tyranny reigns. In this thrilling role-play, body, mind, and soul rebel and resist. The protagonists cover their tracks to save their own skin. And thanks to their incredible strength, their raging anger, their quirky humour, their glitzy glamour, and their joie de vivre, they slap tyranny firmly in the face. With creativity and passion, they defy the abysmal, opening up bright new prospects.
Martin Zimmermann’s new work LOUISE is about resistance and the urge to move freely. For 25 years, the multiple award-winning Zurich-based Swiss choreographer has been creating theater with no words using a mix of contemporary circus, dance, and stage installation.
“IN THE END, LAUGHTER CAN SAVE US”
Martin Zimmermann in conversation with arts and culture journalist Susanna Koeberle
SUSANNA KOEBERLE: This is the first time you’ve developed a theatre piece featuring exclusively female characters. Why is that?
MARTIN ZIMMERMANN: An investigation of hierarchy and resistance through a focus on women is less influenced by traditional, often male-dominated concepts and stereotypes. Such an approach allows us to explore these themes more intricately and with fewer clichés.
As a father, I have been present for the births of my two children. This experience made me acutely aware of the unimaginable challenges endured by a woman’s body throughout her life. With the four performers of different ages, we delved into the taboos surrounding birth, death, sexuality, and gender, as well as into persisting inequalities.
SK: The title of the production, Louise, pays homage to the artist Louise Bourgeois. What role does her work play in your creative process?
MZ: Our piece is, in a way, a dialogue with her. Louise Bourgeois was a perpetual explorer—not only of sculptures and materials but of herself. Our Louise shares this trait. Like Bourgeois, we work from the inside out. Like Bourgeois, we are searching for truth. Such a search requires you to remove layers, be thorough, aggressive, and messy, but also intuitive. For Bourgeois, the medium was stone; for us, it’s the bodies on stage.
She perceived her sculptures to be possessed by a certain magic that gave them the power to dispel inner and outer demons. She referred to this as exorcism. Fragments and entire episodes from her life were translated into the artworks, hovering — dream-like — between the sometimes abstract, sometimes concrete. When one of her ideas became unsettling, disgusting, or repulsive upon execution, she embraced it. And when it turned absurd or humorous, she delighted in it, as if she had outwitted life itself. We share this outlook.
SK: How important is humour to you
MZ: My background is in circus and what has influenced me the most is the figure of the clown. After all, we are all clowns. We are tragicomic, eccentric creatures with demons and strange, dark emotions — yet we are also driven by an irresistible urge to laugh at the absurd. We don’t always want to take ourselves too seriously and instead see the world dance even in its most chaotic moments. What fascinates me is what the complexity of this character demands of the performers. To create humour, you need a framework, a setting. You also need rhythm and precise choreography. What appears effortless on stage is, in truth, the result of hard, gruelling work. But through this effort, the magical in the momentary becomes tangible – it is human vulnerability that shines through. In the end, perhaps laughter really can save us.
SK: How would you describe your artistic form?
MZ: We create a théâtre d’objets et de personnages — object- and character-based theatre — rather than spoken drama. The characters are raw but profoundly authentic, rather close to the individuals behind. It is never about imitation or acting. This is an art form that can only arise through collaborative exploration. The characters depend on one another, as much as we do in real life. At the heart of all my work is the human being. What motivates me, ultimately, is my love for humanity and for theatre.
SK: The stage plays a central role in your work. How so?
MZ: My stage designs are spatial inventions with a life of their own. The stage elements — chairs, tables, doors, or staircases — aren’t mere props but autonomous protagonists. Everything is equally active. In this particular piece, the stage is a kind of laboratory, a scientific workshop, a place for research and experimentation. Louise is a moving sculpture or a moving poem.
SK: Who is your work for?
MZ: Everyone! The pieces address themes that are experienced universally. I’m not interested in delivering definitive answers or judgments. For me, theatre must be kaleidoscopic — full of layers, ambiguities, and shifting perspectives.
Translated from German by Manon Lacoste.
Credits
Concept, staging, choreography: Martin Zimmermann
Created with and interpreted by: Bérengère Bodin, Marianna de Sanctis, Rosalba Torres Guerrero, Methinee Wongtrakoon
Music creation: Tobias Preisig
Dramaturgy: Sabine Geistlich
Stage design: Simeon Meier, Martin Zimmermann
Artistic and choreographic collaboration: Romain Guion
Costumes: Susanne Boner
Light design: Ueli Kappeler
Sound design: Andy Neresheimer
Stage manager: Doris Berger
Stage construction: Schauspielhaus Zürich, Metallkonstruktiv Zürich
Costume design and puppet construction: Schauspielhaus Zürich, Susanne Boner
Motorization: Markus Binder
Deputy stage manager: Noah Geistlich
Technical team: Doris Berger, Franck Bourgoin, Jérôme Bueche, Ueli Kappeler, Lea Meierhofer, Andy Neresheimer, Jan Olieslagers
Production and distribution: Alain Vuignier
International producer: Claire Béjanin
Technical office: Ueli Kappeler
Communication: MZ Atelier
Fundraising: Manuela Schlumpf
Photo: Basil Stücheli
Video: Lukas Gähwiler
Production: MZ Atelier
Coproduction: Schauspielhaus Zürich • Fabriktheater Rote Fabrik Zürich • Theater Winterthur • Theater Casino Zug | TMGZ • Les Théâtres de la Ville de Luxembourg • Théâtre de Carouge • Le Manège-scène nationale de Maubeuge • maisondelaculture de Bourges / Scène Nationale • Kurtheater Baden (in progress)
With the support of: Ernst Göhner Stiftung • Fondation Jan Michalski • Landis & Gyr Stiftung
With special thanks to: Tanzhaus Zürich • Theater Neumarkt • Darko Soolfrank
Final rehearsals at Schauspielhaus Zürich – Schiffbau
Premiere: 30 November 2024, Schauspielhaus Zürich – Schiffbau
Martin Zimmermann/MZ Atelier is supported by the Culture Department City of Zurich, Department of Culture Canton Zurich and Pro Helvetia – Swiss Arts Council.
Martin Zimmermann is Associated Artist at maisondelaculture de Bourges / Scène Nationale.
Tour
2025
- Paris F 05.13 – 05.24 Rond Point – Paris
- Zug CH 05.07 – 05.08 Theater Casino Zug
- Nyon CH 05.01 – 05.02 Usine a gaz
- Chur CH 03.28 – 03.29 Theater Chur
- Aix-en-Provence F 01.30 – 01.31 Les Théâtres – Aix-en-Provence
2024
- Zürich CH 11.30 – 12.15 Schauspielhaus Zürich