Rémi Jacques on Glob: ‘It’s not a show, it’s an invitation’
Think Fringe and peaceful is not the first word that springs to mind. But with their latest show Glob, Quebec-based company Les Foukoutours plan to transport audiences to a serene and wordless universe, as Rachel Morrell discovers
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From first impressions, the minds behind Glob are exactly the kind of energetic and charming characters you would expect from a circus show. But for Rémi Jacques, the founder of Les Foukoutours, and his co-creator Jean-Félix Bélanger, there is more to the experience than a few laughs and a funny costume.
‘It’s a pause, a break in this crazy life. It’s not a show, it’s an invitation,’ explains Jacques. ‘Just relax and go into this beautiful world. For me, it’s very important to present this show for all people. It’s not a children’s show: the children love it, but I think it’s important that the adults can find their imagination and creativity. Children are already in their imagination, but for adults it surprises them to be attracted by this simple journey of two characters. You forget the rest of your life and find this little sparkle.’
As the fur-clad characters appear in a snowy starlit scene, there is an emphasis on visual encounters that inspire a serene and silent world. Collaborating on everything from the performance to making delicate globes that light the stage, Bélanger emphasises the duo’s artistic goals, noting that the process of creating such a multifaceted production and adding new depth to the circus genre is precise and time-consuming.
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‘Glob is different from other shows, in general, because of its pace,’ he explains. ‘We really worked on slowness, on calm, which we wanted to put in everything. So the set is peaceful, the lights are peaceful and the costumes are soft. During the creation of a show, we take three years and our focus is on the movement. For us, the whole show is like a music sheet and we have specific rhythms for every movement that we have. So even if it is just one finger, I’m pointing fast, I’m pointing slowly. And when we do the show, it’s always like this.’
Their movements combine dance, acrobatics, performance art and traditional circus. And Jacques, having developed different aspects of circus performance since the company’s inception in 1997, hopes to steer away from the commonly perceived notions of ‘the clown’. ‘That’s the mission of the company, to bring back a new idea of what a clown is. These characters are more the representation of the human in this world, not a horror or McDonald’s clown. The clown or acrobat has to be more clear with the rhythm because that precision is the picture you present. There’s no language in all the shows that we present, just sound and expression of the body. You already know, physically, exactly what is happening, and then you can enjoy listening to the audience, and take in this pure, unique moment.’
After more than 260 international performances, what is the reaction to their new form of storytelling? ‘It’s a beautiful trip because I don’t explain anything. The characters appear in the beginning of the show and just disappear at the end,’ says Jacques. ‘So each person receives a different story with their personal background of life. Sometimes people think, “oh, it’s a beautiful angel on the stage” or sometimes, “oh, it’s a beautiful cow”. But it’s very interesting because everyone who watches the show around the world has the same reaction. Everyone at the end of the show cries, but with joy. For me, it’s pretty important that they took a moment to go into this wonderful universe.’
Glob, Underbelly Bristo Square, 5–30 August, 3pm.