Footsbarn in Paris 2010

Footsbarn has many cross links with the history of the Great Salt Lake Mime Troupe -- Pierre Byland was a featured performer at LaCrosse in 1974, and many of the Footsbarn actors graduated from Jacques LeCoq's school. The company toured with Friends Roadshow, played the 1st Festival of Fools, adopted stray Trouper Mike Evans, and shared The Road with Katie Duck and Hillary Elmore. Gregg Moore was a member for several years as well. Footsbarn persevered through stresses which often broke up other talented groups. They have literally gone around the world, and will likely do it again before all is said and done.

There's still time to see them in the City of Light!
17 January to 28 February -- Theâtre de l'Epée de Bois
Cartoucherie Paris 12ème Times: February -- tues - sat @ 21h; sun @ 16h


A play for clowns, undertakers, horses, chickens, tractor, gypsies, children, dogs, sheep, violonists, opera singers, bodies, gods, and a fistful of chillies!

From a translated review: Two undertaker's assistants, with the paces crafty devils, make the beautiful ones in the middle of the track. A famous type-setter returned the heart, his coffin is brought solemnly in a cart to horse. The circle becomes the theatre of funeral, accompanied by a trio by classical music. One quotes Shakespeare and Goethe; the small orchestra plays of Schubert. One respects one minute of silence. In the room also, silence!
But ... the first button jumps. A black cock unloads while hopping and comes to perch itself on the coffin. Then it is a cat ... Our two undertaker's assistants (Pierre Byland and Vincent Gracieux) deadpan, make large eyes with each new disturbing appearance of good progress ... the higher bid appears by the interruption of a white horse to the gallop ... Sorry! is the excuse uttered by Paddy Hayter when he makes his interruption on a yelling and noisy tractor ... it is also the title of the most recent creation of Footsbarn Travelling Theatre ... for this spectacle the company joined two others: Charcoals and the Circus Werdyn Tzigane. This last bringing the equestrian key, or rather, equine strength.
... director and joint author Pierre Byland (Charcoals) had to compose skilfully to take into account the talents of all. Swiss, formative clown of generations of actors at the international Ecole Jacques LeCoq, Byland exploits the eccentric sequences, until the final biblical explosion ...
After the Cartridge factory of Vincennes, the company will take again the road. After Tweed, in Normandy, in mid-March, it revisits its origins for the summer in England, then will go to Switzerland, and Belgium, before finishing the year in the south of France.