Freely inspired by Jan Dismas Zelenka’s Miserere

MISERERE questions the human condition through the eyes and voice of a woman, a seer, a sibylline oracle, accompanied by an exultant chorus. The Miserere (ZWV57) by the Baroque composer Zelenka (1679-1745) serves as a source of inspiration for a contemporary musical, theatrical and choreographic rewrite. Taken out of its religious straitjacket, this psalm is presented in a resolutely secular and poetic context. Part pop icon, part mater dolorosa, a woman speaks to us: at once concrete and mythical, rebellious, inspired and vibrant, she takes upon herself the pains and tears of the world in order to transfigure them. As she sings and utters the Miserere, she is surrounded by an energetic chorus of five dancers who embody the haunting, ever-renewing forces of life.

An initial exploration of the project has been presented at the Théâtre de la Vie (Festival des mots, des notes) in June 2023.

Premiere planned in January 2026.

Credits

Conception and direction: Ingrid von Wantoch Rekowski
Artistic collaboration & choreography: Serge Aimé Coulibaly
Composition & sound creation: Sébastien Schmitz
Performer: Candy Saulnier
Dancers : Suzie Babin, Frauke Mariën, Adonis Nebié, Nathanaël Petit, Israël Ngashi
Dramaturgy: Manolo Sellati, Éric Brucher
Assistant: Laura Wolf
Lighting & stage design : Arié Van Egmond
Lighting & stage design assistant : Steve Neuville
Lighting trainee : Yohan Neut
Costumes: Regine Becker
Stage management: Kevin Sage
Production advisor: Isabelle Bodson
Production supervisor: Pauline Bernard / Quai 41
Special thanks to : Jan Maertens, Cécile Bodson, Alessandro Licata

Production : Lucilia Ceasar. Coproduction : Palais des Beaux-Arts (Charleroi), Théâtre de Namur, Central La Louvière, Charleroi danse, KVS, La Monnaie / De Munt (Bruxelles). Co-produced with Coop asbl and Shelter Prod. With the support of taxshelter.be, ING and the Belgian federal government’s tax shelter scheme. With the support of the Wallonia-Brussels Federation (Culture – Theatre Department).