The Play Questions the Daily Life of the Middle Class
The play questions the daily life of the middle class, which is becoming increasingly impoverished. Social, political, and intimate issues are all addressed, as well as the resilience of individuals subjected to the pressures of a mundane life without a future.
A Theatrical Piece Inspired by Current Events
"Les Fugueuses" (The Fugitives), the new theatrical creation written and directed by Wafa Taboubi, is a play inspired by current events. The premiere was presented on Friday, October 3, at the 4e Art, in front of a full audience of theater enthusiasts, as part of the 6th edition of "La sortie au théâtre" (The Theater Outing) organized by the Tunisian National Theater (TNT).
A Co-Production with the Support of the Ministry of Culture
Co-produced by the TNT and Ostoura Production with the support of the Ministry of Culture, the play questions the daily life of the middle class, which is becoming increasingly impoverished. Social, political, and intimate issues are all addressed, as well as the resilience of individuals subjected to the pressures of a mundane life without a future.
A Talented Cast of Six Actors
The six actors - Fatma Ben Saidane, Mounira Zakraoui, Lobna Noömane, Oumaima B'hiri, Sabrine Ben Amor, and Oussama Hnayni - supported by a text written with great sensitivity, evolve on a bare stage with minimal decor, except for a few signs (no entry, stop) indicating a road on which the characters - a part-time teacher, a secretary, a textile factory worker, a housekeeper, a "barbécha," and a student - search for their way, get lost, and then find each other.
A Microcosm of Society
This group of people, representing a microcosm of society, wait for a transportation that is late due to a strike. They are there, thinking and stirring with bitterness, their desperate daily life. Although their paths differ, they decide to agree to break the wait and continue their journey by taking an imaginary path that leads them to a better outcome, in the hope of a less constraining life.
A Moment of Escape
For an hour or more, these fugitives put their daily life on hold and escape to a elsewhere, an imaginary world where everything is possible. The momentum, the pressing inner need, and the necessity of expressing themselves in complete freedom count much more than anything else. It is then that the languages are unleashed to express, or even vomit, a charged feeling. The polyphony of voices weaves an immersive sound tapestry accompanied by haunting music.
A Powerful Performance
Although the start is a bit laborious, the actors subsequently find their form and inhabit their characters with passion and fervor, raising their voices against an arbitrary power that remains deaf to their demands. These lost protesters on the public road search with difficulty for their way, but tension and fatigue put them on edge. They lose their bearings and enter a state of trance, where they deliver their anger and suffering in the face of the disorder that reigns in society.
A Theatrical Road Movie
The actors, with the calm and then unleashed movements of their bodies, bring to life the tensions and aspirations of these characters, who remain united in their objective and share, despite their differences, the means to achieve it. Despite the drama of the situation, humor is not lacking, which gives breathing room to this theatrical road movie, masterfully piloted by Wafa Taboubi.
A Powerful Portrayal of a Social Class
Wafa Taboubi deploys with great accuracy fragments of the life of a social class that is becoming increasingly impoverished and losing hope in the future. A theatrical performance that is well worth the detour, given the great enthusiasm of the audience at the end of the show.
