Combate de Negro e de Cães

About

Combat of Black and Dogs is a nocturnal tragedy by French playwright Bernard-Marie Koltès, presented by Teatro GRIOT with direction by Zia Soares. The company, based in Lisbon, works from Afrodescendant perspectives. On stage are António Simão, Matamba Joaquim, São José Correia and Thomas Coumans. The action takes place in an enclave of whites surrounded by night, watched from towers by black guards who are simultaneously protectors and threat. Alboury arrives to claim the body of his brother, Nuofia, who died under suspicious circumstances, and refuses to leave without him. The dialogues fail through excess, what is not said weighs more than what is said, and tension grows through sounds, games of chance and strategies that do not work. There are also passages spoken in Wolof. It is dense and current text theatre about power, territory and violence, for those who enjoy contemporary dramaturgy. Recommended for ages 16 and over.