NO42
el dorado:
The clowns` Raid
of destruction  

SEMPER

Where is the end of all desires? Does the nature of mankind merit anguish, or rather a half-smile, or tears? Do boundaries necessarily exist to be transcended? In order to examine all these most complicated questions in a staged format, a quantity of pollen equivalent to the Sahara desert first has to be swept out of the way. Generalisation is needed to arrive at the true essence, and the ultimate generalisation of mankind is the clown. The same urges, the same fears, the same joys, the same tears – but larger, clearer, more intense. The clown can bring laughter or sneers to the lips of the audience, but these reactions are evoked through the recognition of the seriousness of existence, and thus all the more brightly. Ene-Liis Semper’s NO42 El Dorado is a work of art that darts straight into the depths, where the spectators take a trip that engages all their senses. Upon returning from that trip, the true significance of life’s paradoxes is perceived. There are references to Europe’s foundation myths, there is first rate acting, there are images, the sensual effect of which derives from their duration.

“The work that Ene-Liis Semper has brought to the stage is a disturbingly powerful pagan mystery, a mystical ritual where clowns are like absurd and monstrous deities, forbidden and nevertheless necessary for taking a sharper look at the dullness of our crummy life. Regardless of the fact that evolution has shoved us onward for thousands of years, we still remain blind beasts moved by senseless desire, unsatisfied instincts that constantly drive us into the depths of violence and endless agonising. Ene-Liis Semper’s world of clowns moves beneath this veneer that is as light as air, and through which society gilds the bitter pill and makes it sweeter,” wrote an Italian critic after performances of NO42 El Dorado in Venice.

Director - Art Director Ene-Liis Semper
Bodywork Jüri Nael
Musical Design Lauri Kaldoja
Dramaturg Laur Kaunissaare

Cast Marika Vaarik, Helena Pruuli, Rea Lest, Rasmus Kaljujärv, Ragnar Uustal, Simeoni Sundja, Jörgen Liik

Premiere on December 22 2015

Duration is one hour and 55 minutes, without intermission.

NB! The production is practically without words and therefore suitable for watching for any language speaker and without surtitles.