Review: DIMANCHE, Compagnie Focus & Chaliwaté - Peacock Theatre
Photo credit: Mihaela Bodlovic
Compagnie Focus & Chaliwaté team up for Dimanche, a strikingly original production that blends physical theatre, puppetry, and film with masterful precision. Both companies, excelling in their unique brand of image-based storytelling, found each other to be kindred spirits, and we are all the richer for it.
Dimanche is a poetic and devastatingly funny meditation on climate change. The show takes audiences on a journey both absurd and heartbreakingly real, building deep empathy for wildlife and humans alike—depicted through puppetry, masks, and found objects, before shattering it with unsettling twists. Though it does not position itself as activism, Dimanche is undeniably a response to our current reality, one that, in theory, has the power to provoke action.
Premiering in 2019 after three years in development, the production has since toured extensively, becoming a standout attraction for audiences eager to experience groundbreaking physical theatre. The show’s structure is composed of standalone yet interconnected acts, each forming part of a larger, seamless tapestry.
With lo-fi special effects, miniature sets, and puppetry that ranges from the endearingly simple to the breathtakingly intricate, Dimanche conjures a world where humanity stubbornly clings to routine while the planet falls apart around them. The beauty of its polar bear and cub puppets, for example, carries a weight far beyond their simple form. This is the power of theatrical expression, deeply rooted in the legacy of greats like Marcel Marceau and Jacques Lecoq and firmly connected to the rich traditions of European theatre. It is poetry in motion, distilling universal experiences into something tangible and forcing us to confront nature’s fragility and the limits of human adaptability.
The production’s visual ingenuity extends beyond its technical mastery; it plays with cinematic language, physical theatre, and documentary-style storytelling to craft a world that is at once surreal and deeply familiar. The comedy is sharp, the poignancy lingers, and the message, though never didactic, leaves an undeniable mark.
Climate change is not a distant threat; it is here, now. Dimanche holds up a mirror, reflecting both the absurdity and tragedy of our attempts to ignore it. And yet, within its artistry, there is something deeply human, a quiet plea to pay attention before it’s too late.
***** Five stars
Reviewed by: Stephanie Osztreicher
Dimanche plays at London’s Peacock Theatre until 1 February, with further info here.
