International hit La Mélancolie des Dragons comes to us for its UK premiere. The poetic and playful story of a band of long-haired metalheads on a quest to build a hard-rock amusement park, La Mélancolie des Dragons is a breathtaking blend of theatre and visual art from our 2015 international guest artist, Philippe Quesne, the artistic director of Nanterre-Amandiers Theatre in Paris. Featuring a car, classic rock, medieval recorders and a snowy stage, it’s a visually stunning mix of imagination, music, and charming (and undeniably French) humour.
“Both avant-garde and accessibly entertaining at the same time… unusual certainly, with lovely performances from the eight-strong cast.” – British Theatre Guide
“Expertly directed by Philippe Quesne… A piece of multi-media, boundary-breaking theatre of which [Nanterre-Amandiers Theatre] should be justly very proud. Bravo à vous tous et bis bis bis!!” – North West End
“As amusing as anything you might have seen on stage… A play worth watching.” – The Manchester Review
“Something extraordinary and special. I’d encourage you to go see it, but it’s done now. Which does feel like a massive shame. I’d have happily gone again” – Postcards From the Gods
“Any show that is able to hold an audience for the first 20 minutes through visuals and background music alone is a marvel… The cast work together seamlessly.” – Mancunion
“A great, humorous and deeply human touching work.” – Der Standard, Vienna
“One of the most poignant theatrical works I’ve witnessed.” – Village Voice
Hear more about La Mélancolie des Dragons from our Artistic Director: Film, Walter Meierjohann:
New York on Quesne’s L’Effet de Serge Nanterre-Amandiers, centre dramatique national is supported by institut Français for its international tours.
