2026 TCAF-Community: Claudette

★ Puppetry x juggling x 90-year-old granny!?
★ To connect reality with fantasy
★ A close bond between granny and grandson!

Granny’s 90th birthday is approaching. Every day, she sits alone and eats soup with her mind going blank. Repeating the routines quietly day after day, Granny feels so bored of her life. She has a naughty grandson who often gets into trouble and makes the adults worried. Whenever Granny thinks of the boy, she cannot stop shaking her head. However, life without company is so boring that it makes Granny miss her youth. Back then, she was tender and her head was full of whimsical ideas; what has remained the same is her short temper. In a few days, Granny is turning 90. Wow! What does it feel like when you are 90 years old? Surely, you won’t feel any difference from today. It seems there isn’t anything interesting to look forward to. Despite that, Granny wants to properly feel this special day; after all, celebrating one’s 90th birthday isn’t something that happens every day!

Claudette was inspired by a member’s granny, who gave up her dream as an artist and devoted herself to her family. Everyone longs to have a colorful life, but as we carry on, “choice” becomes something with no correct answer. On your 90th birthday, when you look back at your life, will you suddenly realize there are so many things you haven’t done? And so many adventures you haven’t gone on? While Granny welcomes her 90th birthday, she still longs to explore life in her own way, feeling the beauty and surprises in life.

Combining puppetry with juggling, Claudette is a production in which puppet are used to connect reality with imagination; sometimes, it feels real and sometimes fantastic. The puppet’s movement is elegant and deft while juggling sometimes floats and pauses as if time froze, leading the audience to hold their breath and concentrate. At such a quiet moment, they feel their emotions flowing and resonating with each other while a space for conversation opens.
 
Cie Balancetoi
Cie Balancetoi was founded in 2016 in Belgium and its members all trained at International Circus and Theatre School CAU in Granada and met in Brussels. Their works include Trois têtes et un chapeau, Km13, and Ceci n'est pas un spectacle.
 
Maleta Company
Maleta Company is a contemporary circus troupe founded in 2013. Focusing on using juggling, manipulation, and body as media for expression, the company is dedicated to exploring experiments on juggling. Their works include Boa Noite, Put a Spell on You, Runners, and Tunnel; the last won Festival Prize for Best Circus Show at 2022 Valladolid International Festival of Street Theatre and Arts.