Somewhere and nowhere

Co-creation by Archaos and Orit Nevo

Migratory movements formed and continue to shape humanity’s identity. In a port, on a quay, men and women lost, parked, forgotten, existing of outside time... They recreate the illusion of having a place to live using their luggage as their only material, luggage which contains all that remains of their identity, their past, their memories of the country where they left everything behind.

The circus artist is by nature a traveler, always bringing their baggage with them, their props, equipment, and personal experiences... The feelings and emotions provoked by these journeys are the source of inspiration for the performers in this creation.

On stage, the five circus artists draw the audience into their migratory movement with its shifting landmarks while forging bonds in an attempt to resolve their unstable situations.
Here and now, somewhere and nowhere.

Production Information

Authors: Orit Nevo and Guy Carrara
Directors: Orit Nevo and Guy Carrara
Artists: Inbal Ben Haim, Maayan Gur, Noa Scnitzer, Aaron Tobiass, Florian Meheux
Video design and operations: Eran Shapira
Musical creation: Dori Ben Zeev, Assaf Givati
Light design and technician: Jacob Sliv
Costume design: Hadas Gertman
Sets: Boaz Yakin

Co-productions: Archaos national circus center for the Mediterranean, Théâtre Europe in La Seyne-sur-Mer, Marseille Provence 2013 European Capital of Culture, CIRCa national circus center in Auch, Israel Lottery Council for Culture and Arts

Media coverage

“Somewhere and Nowhere... Bundles of misery... A powerful, disturbing show about immigration and exile... It’s not surprising that Somewhere and Nowhere flirts with limits and borders. Circus performers move from one cage to another, at the crossroads of visual theater, dance, and circus... Frames limit the space, confining structures, cages lit in the menacing shadows of a deserted stage. The door is omnipresent, the one that must be crossed, the one between the past and the future in an immobile present that seems to never end... The subject extends to all forms of immigration, from the 20 million refugees parked in the antechamber of the American dream, to the Africans who reach the European coast and the detention camps that await them... This is a circus without rhinestones or sequins, but rather uniforms and rags with bundles of misery... Just as dance has seen its own negation through non-dance, this show invents the non-circus, but even so, it is both no longer and still circus... A leading figure in contemporary circus, responsible for numerous international collaborations, Orit Nevo seems to be asking whether it is still possible to make circus after the camps... Guy Carrara provides the setting and scenography for this shared work... A strong, offbeat, atypical, and surprising show, but one that delivers its message... Disturbing.”
– Jean Barak, La Marseillaise, 23 February 2013

“Orit Nevo creates Somewhere and Nowhere with Archaos... ‘Immigration is the history of Marseille... We talk about the important moments of immigration in an international way, but also about the characters’ journeys... it’s France that has strived for the development of the contemporary circus... On a more personal note, it’s an immense pleasure to create with Archaos, which is a legend in the contemporary circus world... We’ve spent a wonderful creative year together...”
– Interview by Xavier Nataf and Amélie Blaustein Niddam, La Boite à Sorties, 20 February 2013

“Somewhere and Nowhere... The result of an artistic co-production between the Marseille-based company Archaos and Orit Nevo’s On-contemporary Circus, which is flourishing in Israel, this 2013 creation explores the theme of migrants, a theme that is both universal and Mediterranean. A show combining dance, corde lisse, trapeze, Chinese pole, and juggling... Circus is capital...”
– Audrey Desanto, Marseille l’Hebdo, January 2013