Focus & Chaliwaté

The Companies Focus (created by Julie Tenret) and Chaliwaté ( consisting of Sandrine Heyraud and Sicaire Durieux) gathered around the collective writing of Dimanche.

For a long time, the two companies had been following and appreciating the work of the other. It became apparent that they had a similar approach, a shared taste for unusual, visual, artisanal and poetic forms of theatre. The three artists decided to pool their talents to create a new form of writing combining gestural theatre, object theatre, puppetry, acting and video. This project is a continuation of their respective research. Since 2016, they have worked meticulously to create a unique, visual and poetic language that draws its inspiration from everyday life, the intimate, the “infra-ordinary”, to tap into the universal.

Before Dimanche and its worldwide success Julien, Sandrine and Sicaire had already built-up considerable experience. In 2009, Julie Tenret made a name for herself with Fragile, a show for actors, objects and puppets, which she co-produced with Isabelle Darras. In 2011, she and Isabelle Darras founded the company Night Shop Théâtre. Next came the creation of Silence in 2013, which received numerous awards. In 2018, she established her own company: Focus. Sicaire Durieux and Sandrine Heyraud also established the Compagnie Chaliwaté in 2005. Their artistic approach feeds on the art of mime to promote a theatrical style where gesture takes precedence. They develop physical and visual performances. Since their first production, Joséphina, in 2009, they have been constantly enriching and redefining their language and their stage writing. The award-winning performances Ilô and Jetlag followed.