you don’t know what privilege is
even when we are sat at the same table
sharing the same food
we seem to speak in different tongues
but it is ok isn’t it
To wonder, to hold hands and work together
We might not all speak the same language, but we sweat all the same
We breath all the same underneath our differential smiles
So come brother, sister, sibling
Come wonder with us
Welcome to REGNANT.
We hope you feel welcome and come with an open appetite and an even more open mind.
Our Host will be taking care of you and see you to your seat.
Our Maestro will be playing a live score composed for you.
Our Chef will be preparing the best food for you.
Our Scribe will be drawing our collective manuscript for you.
You are welcome to interact in this performance installation however you wish to.
If you take your seat at the table, you
Will be offered food and drink
You will be finding a new community of friends, or colleagues.
But most importantly, you will be invited to dream out loud, to debate and ‘make bread’.
REGNANT is a new performance installation, a dinner party with the guests diving into how we interact with each other within the context of migration and belonging. It is composed live with you, our guests, and patrons. Almost all the materials present on stage, from the pottery to the decoration and the food, have been created by hand for you.
As your hosts, we invite you to join us at the dinner table, get merry, make friends and explore structures of power within local communities and how they influence how we shape our collective future.
In REGNANT, Xavier expands the dinner-party setting of his previous show, POST, to think more broadly about collectivity, community and privilege within the performance space and in the development of the narrative itself. This performance installation will include a variety of local guests and co-performers, who will be turning up across the duration of the piece.
Credits
Developed and performed by Xavier de Sousa, An* Neely, Yas Clarke and Emmy Lahouel, with support and mentorship from Jade Montserrat, Saad Said, Deborah Pearson and Lewis Church.
Lighting Design by Tarrek Wilks
Set Design by Hannah Sibai
Produced by Ash Bowmott and Laura Sweeney for The Uncultured
REGNANT is developed with METAL Culture, East Street Arts (Leeds), Theatre in The Mill (Bradford), The Spire (Brighton), Live Collision Festival, Abbey Theatre – National Theatre of Ireland & Project Arts Centre (Ireland), mala voadora.porto (Portugal). Additional funding by Arts Council England.
About Xavier de Sousa
Xavier de Sousa is an independent performance maker, curator and producer based between Brighton and Lisbon. His practice explores personal and political heritage within the context of discourse on belonging, nationalism and migration. Through theatrical and durational work, he explores the dichotomies between the live experience and agency in the performance space. Xavier is currently developing a trilogy of works about belonging and power structures, kickstarted with his first theatre show, Post (touring). Xavier curates the digital series queeringborders, live programme performingbordersLIVE and New Queers on the Block, The Marlborough Theatre’s Touring and Artist Development Programme.
Previously, he has collaborated with Tim Etchels, Rosana Cade, The Famour Lauren Barri-Holstein, and presented work with Latitude Festival, Tate Modern, Vogue Fabrics, Southbank Centre, The Yard Theatre, CITEMOR (Portugal), Operastate Festival (Italy), Onassis Culture Centre (Athens), Kalamata Dance Festival (Greece) amongst others.
Website: www.xavierdesousa.co.uk
Twitter: @Xavinisms
Instagram: @Xavinisms