Workshop: Directing
With Fadhel Jaïbi
In this directing workshop, Fadhel Jaïbi invites the actor to be both the starting point and the culmination of the creative process. The workshop does not rely on a pre-existing text but on the collective creation of a situation, a question, or an initial gesture, opening the door to an exploration of the here and now.
Jaïbi approaches directing as a shared experience—a continuous search to understand the human being through body, behavior, and breath on stage. Rhythm, whether it arises from the body, silence, or interactions between actors, plays a central role. The actor is seen as a reflective partner and experimenter, contributing to the collective energy.
This workshop is a living journey in which the actor becomes a creator of meaning, and the performance emerges progressively from the present moment.
Fadhel Jaïbi
Fadhel Jaïbi is one of the major figures of contemporary Arab theatre. For more than forty years, he has been building a demanding and politically engaged body of work, defending a form of “elitist theatre for all,” questioning the fractures, contradictions, and hopes within Tunisian and Arab societies.
Together with Jalila Baccar, he introduced a groundbreaking stage language in the 1980s, influencing several generations. His most emblematic works include Les amoureux du café désert, Familia, Junun, Khamsoun, Amnesia, Tsunami, Violence(s), and Le Bout de la mer, exploring history, memory, identity, and political upheavals.
Presented on major international stages – including the Festival d’Avignon – he directed the Tunisian National Theatre (2014–2021) and founded multiple training structures for young artists. Recipient of numerous awards, including the Europe Theatre Prize, Jaïbi remains a key reference, building a critical, visionary theatre deeply rooted in its time.
