Duration: ca. 70 Min. Choreography/Direction/Performance: Morgan Nardi Visual Art: Erich Pick (DE/TR)Dramaturgy: Oscar Genovese (IT) Vocal Coach: Christian Wolz (DE) Music/Light Design: Tobias Heide (DE) Stage: Manfred Nücken (DE) Organisation: Martin Brüggemann (DE) PR/Management: Mechtild Tellmann Co-Produced by: tanzhaus nrw, Düsseldorf – Germany Funded by: The Prime Minister of North Rhine-Westphalia, the Arts Foundation of North Rhine-Westphalia, the Cultural Office of the City of Düsseldorf Supported by: The Residencies of PACT Zollverein Essen and Schloss Bröllin e.V. Sponsored by: WISTRA GmbH Selmsdorf.
Where does the truth end and the lie begin? Are white lies allowed in order to preserve your own truth? The new solo piece by Düsseldorf-based choreographer Morgan Nardi approaches this subject in a humorous way and combines artistic and political realities in the process. He takes up the tradition of the one-man show, presents his own biography, dances untrue stories, performs survival tricks, sings truths and plays with elements of comedy and media art. He weaves a web of lies and truth, thus questioning the self-presentation and authenticity required by both audience and the “art world” as a whole. In this multifaceted patchwork, he defends the right to lie and ironically shatters the moral obligation to tell the truth. With its inclined plane, the installation created by the artist Erich Pick forces the performer to constantly seek balance and not slip. Its geometric design also provides a perspective, which melds the perceptions of the actor and the audience. The piece was developed in collaboration with the dramaturg Oscar Genovese and the vocal artist Christian Wolz.
A ONE M(ORG)AN SHOW from Morgan Nardi on Vimeo.
PRESS
ON THE INCLINED PLANE
Morgan Nardi and his “A One M(org)an Show” at the Tanzhaus: all lies?
It is indeed a one-man show, which the dancer and choreo-grapher Morgan Nardi presents at the Tanzhaus. He is the one who hands out tickets at the ticket counter, he is the one who tears off the stubs at the entrance to the small theater and he is the one who presents himself as a charming, if not entirely reliable, entertainer for seventy minutes. After all, Morgan's show is about truth and lies, false identity and real life. And Erich Pick has provided him with an impressive stage, an inclined plane all in white, on which the artist presents himself constantly tilted as a symbol for all that is off balance within life's balance.
Pose with Trombone
He wears a white suit and in a white suit, as Max Goldt knew so well, you move differently. It also has an air of the dubious, a white garment such as this. And the trombone, that Morgan is holding is probably more of an item of display, reminiscent of the noble poses assumed by VA Wölfl's company Neuer Tanz, for which the Italian native Nardi danced for many years. This biographical detail seems to be secure. But as the performer changes his story over and over throughout the evening, as the information pertai-ning to age and private life vary, the border between fact and fiction slowly begins to blur. With a good dose of self-irony, Nardi describes his artistic milestones, even distinguishing himself as a dubious singer to the lines of Grace Jones: "Your private life drama, baby, leave me out."
The Secrets of Love
But no private drama is offered here as Morgan evades this with elegant dance steps that provide a framework for his performance. With a wig he is the star and coquettishly answers unspoken questions. In the end, he paints his face gold and sings of the "Mysteries of Love" from David Lynch’s "Blue Velvet". This is Morgan in his most vulnerable role, removed from the popular entertainer, and the ambitious artist. There was plenty of applause for this stylish performance imbued with a subtle sense of humor. You still have a chance to see Morgan Nardi's "A one m(org)an show" on August 27th at 5:15 p.m. at the Tanzhaus as part of the International Dance Fair.