Deblozay (Bedlam in Haitian Creole) is a journey across the memory of the city through a unique form of musical theatre. Rara Woulib leads the crowd into the heart of a vibrant celebration, into collective trance to the sound of Rara trumpets and sacred Haitian song.

“Deblozay isn’t really a show you watch, per se. It’s something you’re part of. You experience it from within, as part of a crowd, processing through the streets. It’s composed out of pace and rhythm, out of space and proximity. Of people and power. Of people power.’”
—Matt Trueman (The Guardian) – June 2014

Deblozay transforms and explores everyday places. Led by 15 actors and the trance of rara music, Deblozay is a grand procession through the night, immersive sound installations, appearances and disappearances. The show is also an invisible choir, made up of 40 to 120 amateur singers mixed into the audience where it’s difficult to tell who is who…
This procession crosses landscapes that make up the city — mazes of alleys, wide avenues, urban parks, public squares, housing estates or residential areas, industrial zones…

“Rara Woulib explores frontier zones, places where theatre rarely goes.”
—Libération – September 2013

Deblozay is built on an intimate mapping of a each area, taking the audience (and its residents) on a secret adventure. The choral project is generally built around one or more local choirs, and offers a framework for musical collaboration, transmission and direction.

Each performance is unique and created on site.

CREDITS

Project design / stage direction: Julien Marchaisseau         
Actor’s direction: Wilda Philippe                    
Costumes : Cécile Schlecht    
Choir director et musical arrangements : Alexandra Satger        
Soundscape design electroacoustic composition: Jérémy Perrouin    
Technical direction: Thomas Hua            
Lighting design : Chloélie Cholot-Louis / Thomas Hua                        
Actors-musicians : Frédéric Blancot, Anne-Sophie Boivin, César Bouteau, Olivier Boyer, Mireille  Brun, Jérémie Charras, France Davin, Pierrick De Salvert, Cyril Fayard, Donata  Lelleri, Xavier Marguin, Pierre Mougne, Vincent Salagnac, Alexandra Satger, Florent Thiollier, Julien Tribout.