de finale

the finale

2010

In De Finale, Chokri combines his previous works L’Afrique C’est Chic and De Ceremonie into a multidisciplinary solo performance about longing and looking at the Other.

The statue of Lieutenant Lippens and Sergeant De Bruyne (Blankenberge) and its wealth of various Flemish, Arabic and Congolese stories calls for a second perspective. Chokri becomes increasingly fascinated by the nameless black woman at the feet of the two heroes. She is not given a name and is not heard. Who was she? What did she stand for? What does she mean to us?

Chokri Ben Chikha goes in search of his black woman, his Black Venus. This quest takes him past Leopold II, colonial heroes Lieutenant Lippens and Sergeant De Bruyne, cycling hero Frank Vandenbroucke, Geert Wilders, Jef Geeraerts, Maurice Béjart, Carl Hagenbeck and MTV.

Between 2003 and 2007, Chokri Ben Chikha created his family triptych: The Lion of Flanders, Our Lady of Flanders and Brothers of Love. Since 2009, he has been exploring the phenomenon of the zoo humain. In these human zoos, exotic people were exhibited in Europe around 1900. What contemporary zoos humains are hidden in our current society?

The Finale is a stand-up tragedy about cherishing and destroying the other.

  • 24.01 - Bozar, Brussel   

    09.02 - Magdalenazaal, Brugge
    23.02 - Minardschouwburg, Gent
    24.02 - Minardschouwburg, Gent   

    10.03 - CC Lokeren, Lokeren 

  • 14.01 - Zuiderpershuis, Antwerpen 
    15.01 - Zuiderpershuis, Antwerpen   
    21.01 - CC Casino, Blankenberge 

    24.02  - De Centrale, Gent
    05.02  - C-Mine, Genk

    21.09 - Zuiderpershuis, Antwerpen
    22.09 - Zuiderpershuis, Antwerpen
    30.09 - CC De Abdij, Geeraardsbergen

    27.10 - CC De Ploter, Ternat   

  • 5.11 - CC Casino, Houthalen-Helchteren (Avant-Première)
    23.11 - Zuiderpershuis, Antwerpen (Première)

    4.12 - CC Den Egger, Scherpenheuvel   
    9.12 - 't Arsenaal, Mechelen   
    10.12 - 't Arsenaal, Mechelen   
    15.12 - Zuiderpershuis, Antwerpen 
    16.12 - Zuiderpershuis, Antwerpen 
    17.12 - Bij de Vieze Gasten, Gent
    18.12 - Bij de Vieze Gasten, Gent   

Every night there is a woman lying next to you.
For years now.
The same person.
And you have no idea who she is.
You know her name, her hobbies.
You know her mother, you know her father, you know her sister
You know what she likes to eat and who she hates
But you don't know her
You don't know who she is
But you stay with her
Not because you have to
But because you want so badly to be good
Good at something
At something real

Heroes Trilogy

De Finale is the last part of the Heroes Trilogy. Three projects around hero status: one in Senegal, one in the streets of Flanders and one in the theatre.

  • Cutting Edge (BE)

    ★★★★

    Action Zoo Humain provides us with a captivating evening. Backed by carefully selected visual material, Chokri Ben Chikha captivates the audience. Despite the serious subject matter, it is not a heavy performance... He knows how to make good use of the medium of theatre for a personal quest.

    > Read more (Dutch)

  • De Standaard (BE)

    Chokri Ben Chikha begins his Finale as an accomplished stand-up comedian (...), but he does not consider crude jokes to be a win. Suggestion, emotion and textual depth continue to prevail.

    > Read more (Dutch)

  • De Morgen (BE)

    When criticism is levelled at the statue, it always concerns Lippens, De Bruyne and the colonials. The woman is not mentioned. She sits humbly at the bottom of the pedestal, without clothes. “Stereotypical and sexist”. But no one thinks about that, neither then nor now. That's what my performance is about.

    > Read more (Dutch)

© kvde.be

© kvde.be

© kvde.be

© kvde.be

© kvde.be

© kvde.be

  • Regie/spel Chokri Ben Chikha
    Tekst     Chokri Ben Chikha, Erwin Jans, Joost Vandecasteele
    Regie-assistentie     Bregt Van Wijnendaele

    Coaching Herwig Deweerdt, Koen Augustijnen
    Muziek     Zouzou Ben Chikha
    Beeld     Visual Creations
    Techniek     Dimitri Joly, Ousmane Niang

    Productie Action Zoo Humain en Zuiderpershuis
    Met de steun van     KASK/HoGent afdeling Drama
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