Theatrical ventures around Burkina Faso

When two worlds are so utterly different to one another it is hard to believe, when stepping out of one and landing back in the other, that it is still possible for this other reality to co - exist at the same time.
It has been about a month and a half since I left behind the rest of our theatre gang in Burkina Faso. I struggle to bridge my experiences, which had started and ended in other countries around the West of Africa, with my life here back in Europe.
Not yet able to integrate it all into the same venture of being alive.
When friends and family ask me about my journey, I don’t know where to start, nor where to end. How to put into words what it felt like to be there. Finding myself in contemplation of the relevance of talking about something they themselves have not experienced with me.
Wandering the streets of Ougadougou With actor Justin Ouidiga Rubbish collection
And yet, noticing this urge to share, to re-live little scenes of this extraordinary journey. The desire to fill in the gaps or, at the very least, to hang on to a faint memory of this parallel way of life, this glorious calmness …
One glance at a photograph, the mere mention of a place or a name opens the floodgates to hundreds of stories, overlapping each other in my mind, pleading to be told.

There’s the last scene of our goodbyes up in the artists kitchen at the Opera Village in Ziniaré, eating pieces of water melon, burning our fingers trying to bottle ginger tea.
We had just had a wonderful last performance of “Inbox - Salz & Säulen”, a theatre collaboration across two continents, commissioned by the European Capital of Culture 2024, Bad Ischl.



The story, co- written by Burkinabé Sidiki Yougbare and Austrian Thiemo
Strutzenberger is set in Bad Ischl, where the two authors had met during a writers residency. Finding ways to communicate without a common language, as well as the challenges of having to act as an ambassador for one’s own country are central themes of the work they created.
The premiere of the theatre piece, created in collaboration with director Polina Solotowizki, actors Bene Greiner and Justin Ouidiga, musicians Nabalüm and deeLinde, as well as scenographer Albert Frühstück and Sophia Profanter (costumes) had taken place in Bad Ischl in October 2024, followed by a performance in Bodø / Norway. I was most privileged to step in for my dear cellist friend deeLinde, who could not make the trip to Burkina Faso.

I can still see the childrens´faces in front of me, lighting up as I started to introduce the first yodel calls. Can feel my own spirits being lifted every time singer Nabalüm and actors Simon and Justin yodelled after me.
At the end of the performance, we walked up the hill towards two giant hands made out of beautiful cloth woven by local women. The whole audience singing, clapping and grooving along with us. A glorious float on a stream of a musical happening.
Then we danced. Underneath the moon light, the stage had transformed into a dance floor as our photographer Orson started to spin his tunes. I grabbed the hands of a young girl and had the most heartwarming dance of this century. By and by more children and youngsters joined and we watched in astonishment as they presented their own moves with unbelievable groove, grace and calm. (Some serious moves, there was at least one or two young Michael Jackson’s amongst them!) I really hope I will never forget this moment.
Many scenes from our home at Matou and Julienne´s place in Ouagadougou are coming to mind …

The day the women showed Simon and Ali how to properly hand wash their clothes in three big basins. Me watching them in amusement holding the cutest little General, the puppy that had just become part of our household. The daily fight against mosquitos, trying to survive viciously poisonous repellent spray operations, the women laughing at us - “too much, too much!” The day we found the rat drinking out of the toilet or when my slightly intoxicated friend started to chat to them, the rest of us falling over with laughter.
A sewing machine arriving to our house for Ali to continue his scenographic works, the rattling of which should become a pleasant backdrop to our relaxed days at the house. Mashing up ginger with their big wooden mortar and pestle in the kitchen, getting a stash of tea together for the rehearsals at the dusty (but gorgeous) Récréâtrales Theatre.
Daily visits to local markets, where I had beautiful encounters with women selling vegetables, spices or clothes. With a handful of french words, we managed to understand each other and there was so much beauty in all the effort that went in to do so.
The day I got my hair cut in a small hair salon with something that looked like paper scissors, by a guy who probably never has worked with hair that doesn’t have to be shaved or put into plats. (What a laugh though, I loved it!)
The women at a street market who showed me how to properly wrap the skirt around my waist. Lovely Laurentine, a hard-worker at the Village Opera, saving me a couple of times from it falling down in public …

Living the life on the back of Justin’s or Sidiki´s motorbikes, cruising through the dusty dirt roads on the way to rehearsals, the bar or a women-friendly toilet.
Post-rehearsal bar hangs drinking Brakina beer, eating aloko (fried plantain) and brochettes, playing mikado with the empty brochette sticks.
Their special "snipping" handshake. Attaya tea gatherings. Snake stories. I could go on and on ...
What I am really trying to describe with all these scenes is this wonderfully peaceful way of going about - or rather with - the day. Slow, but concentrated. In attentive relation to one another and one’s surroundings.
I feel so incredibly privileged to have been able to go there, to meet and work with all these wonderful people. Thank you Linde! Thank you Sidiki, Annika, Laurentine, Mutandi and everyone at the Opera Village for taking such good care of us. Thank you Simon, Ali and Orson for the great hangs. Julienne and Matou for making us feel so at home. Thank you Bad Ischl, thank you to all the strangers who helped me along the way on a daily basis, in Burkina Faso as well as on all my recent winter travels - it really makes me believe in humanity.
With Nabalüm (singer), Justin (actor), Simon (actor), Sidiki (director/playright), Faia & his production team at Récréâtrales Theatre
Faia building a violin stand for me. Nabalüm, me, Justin, Simon, Sidiki With Julienne
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