Partners
Barefoot Productions
Atelier Théâtre Actuel
Coq Heron Productions
Presentation
”Travels and dreams have been the greatest benefactors in my life; very few human beings, living or dead, have helped me in my struggles. Yet if I were to select three or four who left their imprint most deeply on my soul, perhaps I would pick Homer, Bergson, Nietzsche, and Zorbás. If today I were to choose … a single spiritual guide, a “guru,” as the Hindus say, …, without a doubt I would choose Zorbás. He taught me to love life and not to fear death”.
Nikos Kazantzakis
The story takes place in the 1920’s. After four hundred years of rebellion against Ottoman occupation, Crete has just found its independence.
Nikos, a young 35 year old author, feels imprisoned by his obsession with books and writing. He rents a dilapidated coal mine on the island to experience “real” living amongst workers and “ordinary” people.
He meets and hires a 65 year old Macedonian, Zorba. A jack of all trades. This Zorba, who has lived through so much, initiates the young Nikos into the mysteries of life: dance, music, wine and especially that mystery called Woman.
In a hardened Crete, steeped in tradition and ancient customs, Nikos’s initiation will sweep him into a whirlwind that he did not expect.
Intention
"When I was 18 years old, my mother whispered the name of Zorba in my ear, so that my eyes could open a window to the world. It took 30 years more before I finally listened and opened the door to the library of Nikos Kazantzakis, the author of this philosophical, philanthropic and universal master piece, ZORBA.
Zorba is about us. A mirror of our fragile existence and at the same time a compass and a guide to how we can accept and Live, with a capital L, this ephemeral life. Zorba is a bible.
In my adaptation, I have chosen to focus the four archetypical characters on one major theme – women. Through which I attempt to extract the essence of the other universal themes, life, death, religion, politics, traditions, man, woman, age…that Kazantzakis needed to express... To sublime
Most importantly, this is a story, an entertaining story, where music, dance, comedy and tragedy takes us on a voyage.
A voyage to the historical island of Crete.
A voyage to the immense universe of Kazantzakis
A voyage to our inner selves"
Eric Bouvron
Medias
ZORBA_Bande Annonce from Captavideo on Vimeo.
