After the Rehearsal / Persona

Show & Culture

Director Ivo van Hove, a regular at the Théâtres de la Ville, returns to the Grand Théâtre with a double play adapted from Ingmar Bergman’s films "After the Rehearsal" / "Persona". Originally created in Dutch in 2012 and performed then at the Théâtres de la Ville, "After the Rehearsal / Persona" gets a new life in French with renowned performers such as Emmanuelle Bercot and Charles Berling, whose physical presence brings to life Bergman’s complex characters. "After the Rehearsal" tells the story of a director living in closed session in a rehearsal room, for whom theatre is everything. "Persona" depicts an actress who has sacrificed too much for the theatre and lost her place in life. One has given up life for theatre, the other abandons art out of nostalgia for life. Through this diptych combining theatrical words, emotion, and performative staging, Ivo van Hove offers a tribute to Ingmar Bergman’s legacy.