Het Banket & I SOLISTI / Jan Decleir & Marjan De Schutter - FOUCHÉ

After the great success of ‘Landru’, I SOLISTI and Het Banket are joining forces again. This time they are delving into the unlikely but true life story of Joseph Fouché (1759-1820), the most unknown protagonist of the Franse Revolutie. Much has been written, sung, filmed, and told about that great revolution. Terwijl Robespierre, Marat, Napoleon, Danton and Marie Antoinette filling the history books, Fouché always moved in their shadow. Nevertheless, he was at every moment in the focus of the historical developments of his time. He changed sides like underwear, from one radical extreme to the other. He was a Catholic trainee priest in his young years, but then showed himself to be a ruthless butcher of anyone who had anything to do with the faith. He defected from the Girondins to the Jacobins, the two extremes within the revolutionary movement. He was a fanatical royalist and then again a militant anti-royalist. The once so radical revolutionary Fouché later became a minister in the service of Napoleon and ended his career as minister of police under King Louis XVIII. On new music by Frederik Neyrinck, Jan Decleir, Marjan De Schutter, the musicians of I SOLISTI and the young soprano Hanna Al-Bender bring the story of Fouché to the stage. By putting a spotlight on this forgotten protagonist, they also shed light on the period in which we live now. After all, in recent years there has been a new interest in that fascinating period of our history. Probably because we have ended up in an era again in which our familiar society is shaking to its foundations. Text and direction: Het Banket (Brechtje Louwaard and Tristan Versteven) Acting: Jan Decleir and Marjan De Schutter Compositie: Frederik Neyrinck Live music: I SOLISTI: Tille Van Gastel (flute), Tomonori Takeda (clarinet), Francis Pollet (bassoon/musical direction), Simon Van Hoecke/Simon Binon (trumpet), Bram Fournier/Joren Elsen/Jan Smets (trombone), Hanna Al-Bender (soprano) Video: Tristan Versteven Advies video: Lise Bruyneel Audio: Victor Hidalgo Productie: I SOLISTI, Het Banket and Perpodium Gerealiseerd with support from the Tax Shelter measure of the Belgische Federale Overheid via Flanders Tax and from the Vlaamse Gemeenschap.