1001
At the crossroads of puppet theatre and storytelling art, inspired by Iranian culture to create a dialogue between this traditional heritage and contemporary creation.
Performances
La Perle
L'ivresse des profondeurs
Zal
Puppetry & Poetry
Inspired by the philosophy of Jalāl ad-Dīn Rūmī
(Performed in French, Persian, and Arabic)
Object Theatre, Costume, Storytelling
(Performed in French, German, and Persian)
Shadow Theatre, Storytelling
(Performed in French and Persian)
La Perle
RÛMÎ: THEN WHAT SHOULD WE DO WITH OUR WOUNDS?
SAHMS: THE WOUND IS THE PLACE WHERE THE LIGHT ENTERS YOU.
The Persian mystical poet Jalāl al-Dīn Rūmī's statement is brief, yet its meaning is profound and universal: pain transforms us. This poem brings to mind the nature of the oyster’s pearl, which, over the years and with great patience, can transform an intruder into a marvel—soft yet resilient. The universal concept of "suffering" is a cross-disciplinary subject explored by philosophers, poets, and psychologists alike.
I draw inspiration from Jalāl al-Dīn Rūmī, the 13th-century Persian poet, theologian, and mystic, as well as from the concentration camp experience, which made the search for the meaning of life the heart of its therapeutic practice. For Rūmī, suffering and the greatest challenges of life allow us to reconnect with the strengths and values that lie deep within our being.
Direction & Concept
Sayeh Sirvani
Performance
Colline Caen, Myra Zbib, Sayeh Sirvani
Assistant Director
Mathilde Nourrisson
Musical Composition
(In progress)
Lighting Design
Jean-Yves Courcoux
Sound Design
Julien Fezans
Artistic Consultant
Coraline Charnet
Puppet and Costume Construction
Sayeh Sirvani
Outside Perspective
(In progress)
Administration & Production
La Poulie Production
Production
Cie 1001
Co-Production
Figur Teatret, Norway
Espace 110 – Centre Culturel d’Illzach · Scène conventionnée d’intérêt national « art et création »
Supported by
Le Tas de Sable – Ches Panses Vertes, Centre National de la Marionnette
Les 2 Scènes – Scène Nationale, Besançon
Quint’Est, Réseau de Spectacle Vivant Bourgogne Franche-Comté Grand Est
Groupe des 20 Théâtres en Île-de-France Théâtre Halle Roublot
Région Grand Est
Compagnie du Théâtre de l'Entrouvert
Agence Culturelle Grand Est
The show “La Perle”, influenced by the culture and art of the Middle East as well as the magic of puppetry, explores a universal theme: suffering. It is not about seeking suffering but about embracing it, learning to live with it, and allowing ourselves to be transformed by the lessons it brings.
Through poetic narratives, music, and imagery, this performance weaves together a tapestry that, like a pearl, reveals the transformation of pain into strength and courage.
Photo @Nil.Khaledi
L'ivresse des profondeurs
The Intoxication of the Depths is a condition that can affect any diver during their descent with tanks. Euphoria, confusion, visual disturbances, loss of consciousness, anxiety, hallucinations... Judgment capacity diminishes, forgetting occurs; the wrong choices are made at the wrong times, putting one's life in mortal danger. Here, the intoxication is that of diving into a world of escapes, shifting realities; words that cannot be spoken or others that are repeated to reassure oneself.
It is said that to avoid the intoxication of the depths, one must talk to someone, or repeat the same actions, be with others. Alone, time contracts, stretches, and perception becomes blurred... Talking, this is what Scheherazade does. Tales of people in weightlessness, whose roots have been torn from their native land. These voices, coming from the depths of a country of wandering, speak of displacement; the choice of where one lives, a choice that isn't really a choice: to leave or to stay. There is this unknown planet, where, even though it is our land, nothing seems recognizable. And then there is this planet we travel to, where we encounter “the Other,” like an extraterrestrial.
Direction, Set Design, Performance
Sayeh Sirvani
Text
Mahmoud Ahadinia, Leyla Hekmatnia
Translation, Adaptation
Sayeh Sirvani, Coraline Charnet
Assistant Director
Coraline Charnet
Outside Perspective
Nicole Mossoux
Musical Composition, Sound Creation
Parva Karkhaneh, Alex Derouet
Lighting Design, Technical Production
Antoine Lenoir
Delegated Production: World Festival of Puppet Theatres of Charleville-Mézières
Co-production: Tas de Sable-Ches Panses Vertes – A venue dedicated to the art of puppetry in Amiens
With the support of:
The International Puppet Institute as part of a residency program at Tremplin – Charleville-Mézières
LEM – Creation Space – Nancy
Théâtre Louis Jouvet, National Conventioned Venue for Art and Creation – Rethel
Compagnie Mossoux-Bonté as part of a residency for revival in April 2022 – Brussels
University of Liège
Photo @C.Charnet
Zål
A Journey into the Heart of the Shahnameh by Ferdowsi
Zāl is a performance based on the Shahnameh, or Book of Kings, the work of the 10th-century Persian poet Ferdowsi, which tells the story of the creation of the world and the legends of the kings and heroes of Iran.
This new opportunity to introduce Iranian culture to Western audiences through Persian miniature art is a great joy for me, but these are not the only reasons for this choice.
Hundreds of years ago, our poet Ferdowsi wrote the legend of Zāl, one of our oldest tales. It questions racism through the story of Zal, the albino child rejected at birth because of his differences, and later his love story with Rodabeh, who is from a different ethnicity and religion.
This performance, accessible to young audiences, allows for the exploration of an ancient culture, a touching theme, and a visually rich experience.
Zāl, inspired by the Shahnameh or Book of Kings by Ferdowsi and Persian miniature art, is created for the International Bédéciné Festival, commissioned by Espace 110 in Illzach, where I am an associate artist, scheduled for November 2024.
Based on the Shahnameh or Book of Kings by Ferdowsi
Adaptation & Rewriting
Fred Pougeard, Sayeh Sirvani
Performance
Valentin Arnoux, Sayeh Sirvani
Direction, Puppet Construction & Set Design
Sayeh Sirvani
Production
Cie 1001
Co-production
Espace 110, Nationally Conventioned Venue for Art and Creation in Illzach
Supported by
Région Grand Est
With the support of
Le Triangle de Huningue
Photo @iokoni
Upcoming
L'ivresse des profondeurs
May 15-16, 2025, Hamburger Puppentheater, Hamburg
Past
La Perle
November 4-5, 2025 at 8:00 PM, Espace 110 – Centre Culturel d’Illzach · Nationally Conventioned Venue for Art and Creation, Illzach
November 7, 2025, Collège des 7 Arpents, Souffelweyersheim
December 9-10, 2025, Les 2 Scènes – Scène Nationale, Besançon
December 14-15, 2025, Festival Call for Entries, Westfügel, Leipzig, Germany
L'ivresse des profondeurs
September 17-19, 2021, World Festival of Puppet Theatres, Creation
June 24, 2022, Festival Figura, Switzerland
November 3, 2022, Festival Figuma, Belgium
October 13-14, 2022, Mfest Festival, Amiens, France
November 5, 2022, Schaubude Theatre, Berlin, Germany
September 29, 2023, Espace 110 – Centre Culturel d’Illzach · Nationally Conventioned Venue for Art and Creation, Illzach, France
May 11, 2023, Le LEM, Nancy, France
May 17, 2023, 23rd International Figuren.Theater Festival Erlangen Nuremberg Fürth Schwabach, Germany
May 26-27, 2023, Figurteatret i Nordland, Stamsund, Norway
October 14, 2023, Figurentheaterzentrum Westflügel, Leipzig, Germany
November 15-16, 2023, Casteliers, Quebec, Canada
February 16, 2024, 13e sens - Scène & Ciné, Obernai, France
February 14, 2024, Théâtre de la Verrière, Lille, France
March 9-10, 2024, Figurentheaterzentrum Westflügel, Leipzig, Germany
July 11, 2024, Festival Des Voix Qui Portent, Senonches, France
Zål
November 16-17, 2024, Bédéciné Festival, Espace 110 – Centre Culturel d’Illzach · Nationally Conventioned Venue for Art and Creation, Illzach
