Barber Shop Chronicles [Theatre]

Today is the Champions League final, and we are going to experience it in six hair salons in Kinshasa, Ouagadougou, Douala, Dakar, Abidjan and Bruxelles! For many African and Afro-descendant men, the hair salon is much more than just a place to get a haircut. It is a gathering place, a space for confidences where barbers assume the tunic of the wise and where the salon transforms into a confessional. Taboos disappear, and exile, education, girls, religion, football and politics become topics of uninhibited discussion. With his rhythmic, funny and hard-hitting writing, Inua Ellams plunges us into the diversity of African cultures through countless everyday stories – from the most common to the most outlandish – and casts his enlightened gaze on contemporary black masculinities. Lively, cheerful and driven by a communicative energy combining music and lyrical flights, the adaptation by Junior Mthombeni and Michael De Cock celebrates the richness of the African diaspora across the world. 19 > 23.01.2027 Théâtre Jean Vilar Conseillé from 12 years old – 2h40 (including intermission) Text: Inua Ellams - Adaptation: Junior Akwety, Omar Ba and Caroline Gonce – Staging: Michael De Cock and Junior Mthombeni – Avec Priscilla Adade, Junior Akwety, BATGAME, Hippolyte Bohouo, Martin Chishimba, Salif Cissé, Yoli Fuller, Aristote Luyindula, José Mavà, Jovial Mbenga, Souleymane Sylla and Clyde Yeguete – Collective translation carried out by Master 1 Translation students (ULiège) under the direction of Valérie Bada – Scenography and lighting creation: Stef Stessel – Costumes: Marie Lovenberg – Producer and musician BATGAME – Artistic collaboration: Caroline Gonce – Dramaturgy: Gerardo Salinas – Directing assistant: Mehdy Khachachi – Choreographic advice Serge Aimé Coulibaly – General management: Baptiste Wattier – Lighting management: Antoine Fiori – Sound management: Kevin Jaspar – Stage management: Aristide Schmit – Set construction and costume making: Ateliers du Théâtre de Liège