Funny, poetic and physical, Mal de mer (seasick) is a whirlwind, multi-lingual contemporary Odyssey about fish, family and the end of the world – by new theatre company, Compagnie FRÈRES
“There are three sorts of people; those who are alive, those who are dead, and those who are at sea.” Aristotle
“Si tu vas pas a la mer, tu gagnes rien [if you don’t go to sea, you’ll get nothing].” Numerous fishermen in Marseille/Carro, 2025
Christian is a fisherman within touching distance of retirement; as the sun rises a mile off the coast of Marseille, he and his son-in-law haul in another disappointing catch. Unbeknownst to them, a storm of epic proportions is brewing on the horizon.
Jeanne, Caitlin, Aurora and Solene are four theatre-makers in search of a story. In an explosive, revelatory hour that blurs the boundary between documentary and fiction, they recount the story that swam into their net; a whirlwind contemporary Odyssey about fish, family and the end of the world. Ancient monsters rise from the depths to meet the absurdities of late capitalism; oral tradition confronts ecological collapse; generations clash and cultures collide.
On stage, the four actors merge field recordings, live music, and soundscaping, along with the native tongues of their four respective nationalities. The story unfolds in French, English and Norwegian with subtitles.
Funny, poetic and physical, Mal de mer (seasick) is a story about when to hold on and how to let go in an ever-sinking world.
Compagnie FRÈRES was founded in 2024 by 5 young female artists from France, Italy, Norway, Ireland and the UK, who met at l’école Internationale de théâtre Jacques Lecoq. Their shows stem from fieldwork and pose questions about what it means to live in the world today. In every show, they ask; comment vivre ensemble (how do we live together?) They often find themselves playing men and exploring traditionally male-dominated worlds (hence the name). This is either an accident or an unavoidable Freudian fixation.
