June 25^th 2010 – the curtain opens at the city theatre NTGent and Gardenia has its premiere. Inspired by the penetrating film Yo soy así (by Sonia Herman Dolz) in which the closure of a travesty cabaret in Barcelona is the steppingstone to peep into the private lives of a memorable group of old artists, directors Frank Van Laecke and Alain Platel and composer Steven Prengels signed in for a project that was unique in every respect.

Gardenia, a co-production of les ballets C de la B and NTGent, descends into the turbulent lives of nine remarkable people. Gardenia is no fiction. It is an exceptional testimony, a most intimate narrative about hope and cherished or lost illusions. Seven older personages that walk the twilight zone between being a man and being a woman seemingly effortlessly. In contrast and harmony with a 'young guy' and a 'real woman'. Each of them on a quest. Each of them with an intriguing story.

The world embraced the production and for two years Gardenia played more than 200 performances with stops in a.o Avignon, Paris, Vienna, Berlin, Antwerp, London, Amsterdam, Belgrado, Barcelona, Lisbon, Oslo, Quebec and Montréal, Adelaide, Taipei and a Russian tour. In 2012 Gardenia was nominated for the prestigious British Olivier Award. Afterwards the life of the cast was brilliantly portrayed in the documentary Before the last curtain falls, which in its turn was showered with prizes at international film festivals.

Ten years later the cast gathers again. Yet not completely. Andrea left us for good. And with her Tina Turner disappeared. Eight of them go on. Eight individuals who are so special that you want to get to know them. That you want to embrace them.  

“It's a privilege to spend time with this brave and unusual cast of performers” (Luke Jennings, The Guardian about Gardenia)

COPRODUCTION
Aftertalk 26.11 at 22:00 (FR) 

Programmation outside the walls of La rose des vents in Tourcoing