The wonderful neglect of Angelica Liddell at Teatre Lliure

The fear of death and decay when you reach a certain age and art being the only way to face it inspires the new creativity of Figueres singer Angelica Liddell, Damon. Bergman’s FuneralThey also deliver a diatribe full of warnings to a dedicated audience that finally applauds enthusiastically in contempt and rebuke of this reckless and majestic theatrical animal and its irreverent rituals. Irrespective in form and content. In images and words.

A semi-naked priestess ritual begins with vaginal ablution and then sprinkling fig water on the audience. sacredwhich continues with the presence of Pope John Paul II, who will also have to wash his bottom, and which will end with the touching of Ingmar Bergman’s spruce coffin as the singer dressed in black approaches him and prays that he will not die, separating them.

The great Swedish director could not stand criticism. He hated it. Hence the first of the three scenes that make up the film is devoted to attacking the French theatre critics (one of whom criminally denounced him for insults after the premiere at the Avignon Festival) which, on the other hand, he says, is the only criticism against which an artist can burn himself; according to Liedl, “Spanish criticism does not deserve him”, although over the years the critic’s remarks will be the only thing left of his work.

After the revenge, Liddell fills the space for words with a lively monologue of almost an hour and a half. From his mouth flows the fury of fear, the malice of lament, the oppression of anguish, the wrath of the inevitable, the contempt of others, the hatred of parents, interspersed with bursts of music. There is so much exaggeration and repetition that it makes me personally smile. They all come together in the middle of a large, picturesque space dressed in Bergman’s favorite colors: the red of the floor, the white of the side tulle, the black of the moving chairs from which the performative base of the proposal will be created with bright plastic compositions.

Bergman’s funeral arrives. A copy of what the director and stage manager left behind and an assistant recorded on video. Dramaten actors in Stockholm (the singer is not slack) singing the Psalms Without accompaniment of musical instrumentsBut the noise of the machine drowns out any harmony. Same with the cellist who plays a sweet piece but no one hears him. Liddell can be very cruel. Of course, it’s all theater. And at the end she prays for some joy that she will find, already dressed in red and surrounded by a large group of actors (about twenty people) to the sound of the Pet Shop Boys song: It’s a sin.

[Les fotografies que acompanyen aquesta crítica són d’una representació de Dämon. El funeral de Bergman al Festival d’Avinyó, perquè Angélica Liddell no ha permès que es fotografiés l’estrena a Barcelona.]