Avignon Festival: A Global Stage For Bold New Voices
The Avignon Festival has long been a beacon for theatrical innovation, but under the leadership of Portuguese theater director Tiago Rodrigues, its global reach is expanding like never before. With a fresh commitment to diversity, the festival is showcasing performances from regions and artists that have historically had little representation on Europe’s grandest stages.
A Festival That Prioritizes Experimentation
Selecting performances for an international festival is always a balancing act. Recognizable names guarantee ticket sales, yet they often reflect a narrow slice of the global theatrical landscape. Avignon, however, has a unique advantage—audiences are drawn as much by the city’s vibrant theatrical atmosphere as they are by specific productions. This allows organizers to take risks, spotlighting lesser-known artists while still filling venues.
Rodrigues has embraced this opportunity for transformation. In 2024, over half of the 38 featured artists were making their Avignon debut, including performers from countries rarely seen on major European stages. This shift not only broadens the artistic dialogue but also gives a platform to voices that might otherwise remain unheard.
Spanish-Language Theater Takes Center Stage
One of the most significant changes this year was Rodrigues’s decision to dedicate each festival edition to a different language. While last year’s focus on English was relatively modest, 2024 saw a substantial expansion, with 12 productions—nearly a third of the festival’s lineup—performed in Spanish. The participating companies hailed from Spain, Argentina, Uruguay, and Peru, bringing a rich tapestry of storytelling to the festival’s historic venues.
Among these, Lola Arias’s "The Days Outside" ("Los Días Afuera") stood out as a deeply moving exploration of life after incarceration. Featuring former inmates from Argentina, the production was not just a theatrical performance but also a personal testimony.
Life After Prison: "The Days Outside"
Arias, a filmmaker, writer, and director who recently received the prestigious International Ibsen Award, has spent years working with incarcerated women. Her 2019 documentary-style musical film Reas explored their daily lives in prison, and The Days Outside serves as a follow-up, shifting the focus to their experiences after release.
The six performers—five women and one trans man—take the stage in elegant outfits, immediately subverting expectations. Rather than portraying themselves as victims, they introduce themselves with pride, stating how long they’ve been free. The production blends storytelling, music, and dance, incorporating songs originally performed by the rock band some of them formed while incarcerated.
Yet, alongside its moments of joy and resilience, The Days Outside does not shy away from the harsh realities of reintegration. The performers recount struggles with employment, housing, and police harassment, offering an unfiltered look at the systemic barriers faced by former inmates. In one particularly striking moment, Noelia Pérez, a trans woman, shares her experience of being assaulted for advocating for sex workers. She then delivers a voguing-inspired dance—less a performance, more an act of defiance and self-empowerment.
Despite the standing ovation at the Opéra Grand Avignon, the production leaves lingering questions. What happens after the applause fades? Arias has provided her cast with a platform, but their long-term prospects remain uncertain. The final scene, in which performer Estefania Hardcastle admits she struggles to imagine a better future, is a sobering reminder that visibility alone does not guarantee change.
Breaking Theatrical Boundaries: "Soliloquio"
Another standout Spanish-language production was Tiziano Cruz’s "Soliloquio (I Woke Up and Hit My Head Against the Wall)," which blurred the line between performance and activism. Cruz, an Indigenous Argentine artist, collaborated with local Avignon residents to create an opening parade through the city—an exuberant, community-driven spectacle.
But beneath the celebratory start lay a much heavier narrative. At the heart of Soliloquio was a deeply personal manifesto, which Cruz distributed to the audience. It detailed his sister’s tragic death, a result of systemic neglect and discrimination in Argentina’s healthcare system, along with other injustices he has witnessed.
As the performance transitioned from the streets to a traditional stage, Cruz embarked on an emotionally charged monologue. In a raw and confessional tone, he expressed his inner turmoil—questioning whether his success as an artist had distanced him from his Indigenous roots. "Perdón, perdón, perdón" ("Sorry, sorry, sorry"), he repeated, as if grappling with his own role in a system he critiques.
The production rejected conventional theater structures, embracing an abstract and at times fragmented approach. While this artistic choice divided audiences, its message was clear: some stories cannot be neatly packaged into traditional theatrical formats.
Unveiling the Hidden Labor Behind High Fashion: "Lacrima"
The festival also featured productions tackling global industries and hidden inequalities, including French director Caroline Guiela Nguyen’s ambitious "Lacrima." This three-hour epic examined the fashion industry’s unseen labor force through a multi-national, multi-generational cast of professionals and amateur performers from France, India, and the UK.
At the center of Lacrima was a single object—a luxurious wedding dress, designed for royalty. But instead of focusing on its glamour, the production peeled back the layers of its creation. Audiences followed the dress’s journey from an exclusive Parisian atelier to a Mumbai embroidery workshop, where an aging craftsman, Abdul Gani, struggled with deteriorating eyesight. Meanwhile, in a French studio, conservators worked to restore a delicate lace veil, revealing the painstaking skill behind every stitch.
Beyond its intricate storytelling, Lacrima underscored a key contradiction in the fashion world: even as luxury brands champion “ethical standards,” many of their workers remain underpaid and unrecognized. The play shined a light on these invisible contributors, ensuring their stories reached one of the world’s most prestigious theater stages.
A Festival That Expands Horizons
This year’s Avignon Festival reaffirmed its commitment to amplifying diverse voices and unconventional narratives. Whether through personal testimonies, activist theater, or industry exposés, the productions challenged audiences to see beyond familiar perspectives.
By focusing on underrepresented artists and exploring stories that often go untold, Rodrigues is steering Avignon toward a broader, more inclusive theatrical future. If this edition is any indication, the festival is not just widening its world—it is redefining what global theater can be.
