The Théâtre d’Un Jour was founded in 1994 by Patrick Masset, who had just graduated in philosophy. He then created his first solo project entitled “Holzwege”.
In 2000, he directed “Du Vent… Des phantoms…” (La Fabrique Imaginaire), a theater show presented throughout the French-speaking world (TNB, Théâtre du Rond Point in Paris,…). It will be performed until 2013.
In 2005, the Vent d’Autan company, based in Auch (F), asked him to stage his new creation under a big top “Autour d’Elles”, a circus show which will tour throughout Europe for four years (Kit in Copenhagen, la Villette in Paris, etc.).
After various creations for the street, the theater, the opera, etc. (the Opéra Pompier, Wejna, le Farfadet, les Wawas, etc.), Patrick Masset decided to devote himself to more personal projects.
In 2008, the T1J decided to acquire a big top for the broadcast of its shows, which made it the first current circus under a big top in French-speaking Belgium.
That same year, “The Child Who…” was created at the Zomer Van Antwerpen festival. This show is inspired by the early years of the life of the sculptor Jephan de Villiers. It shows the sensitive vision that a child can feel when faced with the adult world. “L’Enfant qui” will be performed more than 300 times (CIRCa Festival in Auch, Théâtre des Doms in Avignon, La MaMa in NYC, etc.).
In 2012, “Alaska” was created. This is an interdisciplinary production co-produced by the 4 Drama Centers of Belgium and the Bis’Arts Festival. This very particular artistic object deals with memory and its disorders in order to cast doubt on reality. Alaska receives a superb welcome.
In 2015, the Les Inouis project was created in response to the refugee crisis facing Europe. It is co-produced by the FMTM of Charleville-Mézières (In) and Underbelly (Edinburgh Fringe Festival). This “unfinished” project will be completely recreated in 2016 under the title “Les Inouis.2”. This is an interdisciplinary project (circus, theater, etc.) combining the stories of migrants from yesterday and today. This project was released in two versions:
The first is presented in a truck trailer transformed into a traveling theater. This is a short form (30 minutes) followed by a debate. This citizen project is intended for primarily non-“professional” audiences with the ambition of bringing theater to people (CPAS, schools, suburbs, villages, etc.). It was created in collaboration with the PAC and the CIRé.
The long version of the show presented under the big top or in the room was created in 2016 at 140 in Brussels. This show has been performed nearly one hundred and fifty times (FMTM in Charleville / in, Festival Zomer in Antwerp, La MaMa in New York, etc.).
In March 2018, Strach – a fear song premiered at the Up Festival! This show, performed under our big top or indoors, brings together 3 circus performers, 1 opera singer and 1 pianist. Strach – a fear song talks about the fears, present in each of us, and the need to overcome them. This show received the Best Circus Show Award in 2018 at the Maeterlinck Awards. It has been performed one hundred and fifty times to date (Théâtre des Doms in Avignon, Festival Circos de Sao Paulo, Le Maillon – Scène Européenne in Strasbourg, etc.). Covid interrupted the tour of this show from March’20 to, at least, January’21 with nearly a hundred dates canceled (Attol Festival in Karlsruhe, Winterfeest in Salzburg, London Mime Festival, etc.).
During the health crisis (2020-21) T1J created TINA, a musical tragedy which addresses the theme of repetitions in our lives, in history and on stage. It is a transdisciplinary piece bringing together ten artists: 5 circus performers, an actor, a child, a soul singer and a jazz duo.
TINA questions the need for change for each of us.
During this time, Patrick Masset read a lot about the primitive arts (Clottes, Campbell, Rigal, etc.) and shamanism (Corine Sombrun, Sylvie Lasserre, Antonin Artaud, etc.). This is how he discovered that the construction of Strach – a fear song was strangely and unconsciously inspired by a ritual intended to chase away fears.
From that moment on, he researched in depth and met a lot of ritual specialists until he discovered the Ko’ch, an essentially feminine ritual, which perpetuates life in Central Asia.
From this period born in 2023 RECLAIM, a new creation which will be played in a circular manner for 270 spectators via a tier placed on the stage of a theater or under the company’s marquee. This imaginary ritual will, however, respect the different stages of the Ko’ch.
A lyric singer, two cellists and five circus performers in acrobatic lifts will be literally surrounded by our stands and the spectators in a disturbing proximity.
While we are barely emerging from a pandemic and a war breaks out in the very heart of Europe. That everything pushes us to forget the tens of thousands of refugees who died in the Mediterranean, the desperate warnings of Greta Thunberg and many scientists about the planet, it seems essential and vital to us to share an imaginary ritual which is at the service of life , respect for difference and a future as open as possible.
But actually, what is a ritual? And why ?
“Everywhere and at all times, humans need to interrupt the thread of daily life and establish a new time and a new space, filled with all their representations of the world and themselves, and all their hopes and sufferings. This is why in all their differences they are similar to us. » (Maurice Godelier)
RECLAIM is an act of resistance which means making oneself capable of recovering, of re-appropriating what one has been separated from.
This imaginary ritual is seen as a necessity, a form of secular prayer.
We must believe in what does not yet exist but which is present in us from all eternity.
This necessity is what we also become capable of.
The future is not what will happen to us, but what we will do!
RECLAIM received the award for ‘Best Circus Show’ at the 2023 Maeterlinck Critic’s Choice Awards. (Belgium) !
Coherences emerge from this journey…
On the one hand, the link to music and plastic art, all these creations focus on the same question: what part of humanity is still present in our world?
On the other hand, a way of considering the creation, distribution and production of projects over the long term. We want to play our shows for a long time, develop their form, integrate the spectators into the work from rehearsals. The semi and the marquee are an integral part of this strategy. A semi transformed into a traveling theater which goes to the public. Or a small marquee, light, easy to assemble, intimate in which we find a true relationship with people and a trust necessary for an exchange to take place.
We also stubbornly defend a need to impose real writing on circus practice while constantly breaking down the barriers between disciplines. The central point of our work remains the search for original artistic forms based on the “confrontation” of complementary practices and languages.
It seems important to us to specify that the T1J is installed in Vonêche (south of the Province of Namur) in a disadvantaged region, even culturally devastated. Since 2008 we have had to demonstrate cunning, extreme originality and colossal work to convince curious partners to follow our ambitious work. Since 2019, we have benefited from a storage location built with our own funds, which also serves as a place of residence for the company. We are, little by little, opening it up to other operators.
Patrick Masset
Directeur Artistique
theatredunjour@gmail.com
0032 474 34 60 66
Auriane Richard
Administratrice
auriane.t1j@gmail.com
0032 474 93 96 12
Régisseur général et régie lumière
Adrien De Reusme
adrien.t1j@gmail.com
0032 474 96 69 85
PRESS
RECLAIM : West End Best Friend (Fringe 2023)
