Barber Shop Chronicles

One day, six cities, a number of haircuts and thousands of stories For many African men and men of African descent, the barbershop is much more than a place to get their hair cut. It is a meeting place, a safe space, where the barber takes on the role of wise man and turns the salon into a confessional. In these timeless places, taboos disappear and themes such as migration, upbringing, women, religion, football and politics are discussed freely. In a performance that crosses continents, Barber Shop Chronicles invites the audience to discover six barbershops in six different cities (Kinshasa, Ouagadougou, Douala, Dakar, Abidjan and Brussels) – all on the day of the Champions League final. You get the feeling of accidentally catching conversations – in French, Wolof, Bambara, Baoulé, Dioula… – to the rhythm of buzzing clippers and whipping towels. With his rhythmic, witty and sharp pen, Inua Ellams immerses us in the richness of African cultures, using countless everyday stories – from the most recognizable to the most bizarre – and casts a clarifying look at contemporary black masculinities. Lively, playful and carried by an infectious energy that weaves music and poetry, the adaptation of Junior Mthombeni and Michael De Cock celebrates the richness of cultures that remain invisible all too often.