The Image theatre integrates modern dance and non-verbal acting with black light theatre effects. Under the hand of Eva Asterová, the theatre's artistic director, Image seeks to produce an individual look of at a scene’s signature. The audience also often becomes an integral part of the performance. Magic poetics, playfulness, and humor are the most important trademarks of this ensemble.
The repertory of the Image theatre is composed mainly of its own devised works. Apart from Eva Asterová – director, scenarist, choreographer - the other members of the ensemble include Josef Tichý, Petr Liška, René Pyš and Michal Hecht. The music is original, created mostly by Zdeněk Zdeněk, the music director of the theatre.
The Image theatre has 13 years experience in Prague’s black light theatres scene. Apart from regular performances in Prague, Image also performs internationally. This year the company travelled to Korea and Greece, and previous tours have included Germany, Israel, Greece, Turkey, France, Italy, Switzerland, Belgium, Hungary, Slovakia, Cyprus, and dance festivals in Korean Seoul and Israelic Karmiel.
Image theatre is occasionally invited to cooperate in shooting TV programs and special projects such as the Roncalli show in Frankfurt’s opera, a 4 month engagement in Berlin’s Wintergarten theatre, a trade show of NATO army equipment in Nitra, a 1 month show at Dusseldorf’s Apollo theatre, and at Munich’s olympic hall. Many other prestigious events in Prague and abroad have been graced by performances of the Image Theatre.
IMAGE THEATRE IN MACAU
1. What does this performance in Macao mean to you and your company?
It is a wonderful new experience for us. We are first time performing in China. We are looking for getting to know your country, audience and meeting with interesting people.
2. What have you heard of Macau? What do you expect to find?Macau is in our country but also in Europe not so well known country. We know, that is is connected with Portugese history. We expect less busy life, than in neighbouring Honk Kong. We heard about comparison to Las Vegas.
3. Your company is independent but what distinguishes it from other companies of the same nature? What I am asking is what makes it different and a special project in your opinion?
The independency brings the necessity to ensure resources to own activity, but on the other hand it gives you freedom in artistic creating. The difference form other theatres is in connecting many different art fields – dance, nonverbal theatre, technique of black theatre and original music. Performances are comedies created on contemporary themes, so it is an author theatre.
4. You started as a group of artists that got together to do exactly the projects you were passionate about. How different is the methodology of work of the beginning and now? How come were you able to grow as an organization and maintain the same independent spark?
The company originated actually for one specific event – a festival of clowns in France. What I only knew at the beginning was that I want to present a ballet in some different, not in classic form and bring joyful themes to the spectators. I like the freedom of author creating. I cooperate also with some actors from our theatre. I´m surrounded with great actors and dancers, what is really important for working on new pieces and for a good mood in company. Behind the present situation, when spectators are visiting us every day in Prague and simultaneously we arrange dozen more tours around the world, is also everyday patient 16 yeas lasting work of both creative team and management.
5. This theatre company was founded by a choreographer and a musician. Dance and music are the most important arts in the work of this company?
I thing that is so, but all this would not have its character without possibilities, which are given to us through the technique of the black theatre. The balanced integrity of all these parts is what we always want to achieve.
6. Can you please describe the show you are bringing to Macau? As I see it is a group of the best moments of your shows. Can you please explain what the links of those sketches are and how you made it as a whole? I believe if they are the best they are probably demanding for the performers. Did you look for a balance of the show in terms of that?
For Macau we prepared performance The Best od Image. This performance is transforming over the years. Every time we add some new successful parts from the other performances. It is something like a profile of our past and contemporary production. The art is a special category of human activity. Not always is true, that the more demanding, the better the result is. Sometimes good idea is much more. But the technical presentment can lead the idea into a impressive image.
7. What kind of illusions do you show on stage? While answering can you please let me know what the highlight of the show is or please let me know some of the best moments?
For our illusions we do not use any very special technical equipment. Everything it performed by actors. Some of the most popular ones are flying of actors and things and variety of optical illusions. Everything is based on the possibility to mystify the human eye. My favourite part is called Halfpeople, but everybody has its own taste. I thing, that different spectators will find their highlights in different parts of the performance.
8. I believe your show has a lot of interactivity with the audience. Can you please explain how that interactivity is?
In Prague we play four different performances and in each of them, there is another kind of interactivity with the audience. For Macau we prepared the part called “Their inside” but I will not say more.
9. What kind of arts do you join in the same show? What is the biggest goal of your company in an artistic point of view?
Our theatre, as it was said is consist of modern dance, nonverbal theatre and the technique of the black theatre. A very important part is played also with art impress and original music. Through this form we would like to engage the spectator and at least for a while to pull him into our world, where he is free from the everyday worries.
10. Black theatre has its roots in China. Is this your first performance in China? How do you expect the public to react to this “adaptation” of an art form they know very well? In what way do you think it will be surprising for them?
Yes, we will perform for the first time here. We are curious for the audience and how they will react. When we went to Korea, we were afraid that the Koreans will not understand our way of humour. But at the end the audience was fantastic. We hope that we can bring something new also for the audience in Macau.
11. Inwhat way is your show connected to the Czech tradition, culture and art? What are the elements that identify that? Are people able to spot that immediately?
The Czech tradition in black theatre is also relatively well known. It´s origin is dated into fifties-sixties, when the Czech black theatre came on the stage around the whole world. But also the pantomime, which forms an important part of the Image theatre has a long tradition in our country.
12. Do you think audiences around the world react differently to your shows? How come (can you please illustrate your answer with a story of some feedback you had after or during a show)?
We do not thing that the audience all over the word reacts identically, but according to our experiences very similar. For example, once we had in our theatre a big group of visitors from Israel. In that performance there was a fictional bomb under the chair discovered with the actor. In one second everybody from this group was laying under the seats, while the visitors from the other countries were sitting quietly.
13. Can you tell me how many people are involved in this show?
Yes, of course. The performance is played with 5 dancers, one actor in black, two pantomimes, one sound and light technician and two spotlight technicians.
14. Technically and in terms of production, how demanding is it? Is there any novelty in terms of scenery, lights, sounds and image projection on stage? (I wonder if there are groundbreaking aspects)
The performances are very demanding for the actors. They have to be professional and versatile talented dancers. They can not make any fault in the performance, because it could also cause some danger accident. Some parts, on the first view very demanding, are in fact relatively easy. And sometimes is it on the contrary. Every new performance has to surprise the spectators with something new. We are searching for some new materials, technical tricks and dancing figures to support your goals even more. We also use projection, but not in such a breaking way. From every new premiere we expect to be better than the previous one.
I felt that this type of theatre, image theatre, is really interesting. I enjoyed how this article listed questions and then proceeded to answer those questions regarding this type of theatre.
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