In the spotlight

Káťa Kabanová will be the first time you direct an opera. Do you have a particular affinity with this artistic genre and more broadly with music in general?

Directing an opera is a dream that I have had for a long time and which will now come true. When Stefano Pace asked me to direct this production after seeing a performance of my play Hedda at the Théâtre de Liège in September 2022, I instantly accepted! Music is a big part of my life. My father was a jazz saxophonist and, when I was little, I was immersed in the music of John Coltrane and Miles Davis. My works, which are orchestral machines, always combine set design, music, acting, etc. I am delighted with this collaboration with the Opéra Royal de Wallonie-Liège and all our future projects!

You announced that you are approaching the production from an ecofeminist perspective. What do you mean by that?

For me, Kát’a and her body represent nature which is dying. There is a great erotic, spiritual, almost mystical life force in her, which to my mind embodies the power of nature. As such, we live in a world where nature is dying. It is very meaningful for me to say that Kát’a and her disappearance are a metaphor for this.
Nature is central to my project, because the stage set will be entirely med up of actual plants. The action will mainly take place in a natural setting close to the Volga, which is drying up and disappearing, whereas it represented the inexorable power of Russia at the time the libretto was written based on the play by Alexander Ostrovsky.

You will be tackling a monument of the Czech opera repertoire. What does Leoš Janáček’s work mean to you and how do you envisage working in a foreign language?

I find that Janáček’s music is extremely modern, almost cinematographic, which is something that immediately struck a chord with me.
Its emotional and narrative power are totally in tune with the times. As for the question of the language, I am very curious to get to grips with this new way of working. I think that the fact that I do not speak Czech opens up other perceptions that are much more sensitive and undoubtedly less intellectual, which really interests me. Furthermore, I can also count on my wonderful assistant who speaks more than five languages!