Events

“It doesn’t happen too often that you leave the theatre slightly confused, but with a relaxed smile on the lips and feeling refreshed. Watching someone act foolishly [in SAME SAME] is therapeutic; it helps you not to take yourself so seriously and let some absurdity into your life. Boredom can kill even the most meaningful work.”

—Lucie Kocourková, Taneční aktuality (translated from Czech)

There are some actions we do everyday. Doing them makes life feel normal. When a strange thing happens, it makes us think more about these “normal” actions, and if we can try something new. We meet two women who almost look like each other. They are tired and stressed. They get lost and allow themselves to feel wild.

Three people created this work. They are Belgian choreographer Karine Ponties, leading Czech creative dancer Tereza Ondrová and theatre director Petra Tejnorová. The humour in this work can remind you of silent film actor Buster Keaton. He was famous for doing big tricks to make people laugh. He keeps a neutral face when doing silly things. Like him, this work tries to make us laugh but also makes us feel things. It also tries to be funny in a way we don't expect.

SAME SAME has won two awards at the Czech Dance Platform: Best Dancer of the Year and Special Mention by the Jury.

There is a post-show talk on 20 January 2024. Speech to text interpretation can be done if needed. If you need this service, email us at info@singaporefringe.com before 15 December 2023.

Artist Statement

SAME SAME looks at issues we face at work and our lives. These include being bored, tired, stressed, and aimless. It shows us how strange it is that we repeat actions, both to people we are close and not so close to. Humans and how we connect with other people are complex.

This work also talks about:

• How things look like, or don’t look like each other
• Power, or letting yourself to be controlled

It purposely shows us strange things to make us question the normal things in our lives.