Oona Doherty's dance;
Credit: Luca Truffarelli
The Grand Théâtre in Luxembourg-Limpertsberg is set to present the works of Oona Doherty, Brett Bailey and William Kentridge this October.
Irish choreographer and dancer Oona Doherty will bring her contemporary dance piece Hard to be Soft - A Belfast Prayer to the Grand Théâtre on Friday 10 and Saturday 11 October 2025, with performances starting at 19:30. The 45-minute piece is recommended for audiences aged fourteen and over.
According to the venue, Oona Doherty's Hard to be Soft - A Belfast Prayer is "an unflinching portrait of her hometown's working-class communities, capturing their violence and vulnerability, quirks and courage. Blending brutal insurrection with fragile hope, the choreography distils the city's energy into a four-part physical prayer, where street swagger meets intimate reflection". Set to "a powerful score" by Belfast-born musician and composer David Holmes, the piece "explores masculinity, sectarianism and class, portraying a place where defiance is survival and beauty, armour".
A workshop programme with local youth in Luxembourg is expected to strengthen ties between the performance and the community.
Tickets cost €20 for adults and €8 for youth; Kulturpass welcome. For further details, see https://theatres.lu/fr/hardtobesoft.
For the first time, the Grand Théâtre will stage a work by South African director, playwright and installation artist Brett Bailey: FaustX is being performed on Friday 17 and Saturday 18 October 2025 at 19:30.
According to the venue, "FaustX reimagines Goethe's Faust II through the fractured lens of 21st-century geopolitics. As 2025 marks the 250th anniversary of Goethe's arrival in Weimar, where he wrote his masterpiece exploring power, politics and human ambition, and the world feels as fragmented as ever, this new rendition could not be timelier."
The Grand Théâtre added: "With an irreverent troupe of masked South African performers, Bailey crafts a visually striking, surreal and haunting tale of human striving, temptation and relentless drive - one that resonates as powerfully today as when it was first written."
The 1.5-hour play is being performed in English and German, with an introduction by Janine Goedert (in English) 30 minutes before each show. The production is recommended for audiences aged twelve and up. A Q&A session will follow the first performance.
Tickets cost €20 for adults and €8 for youth; Kulturpass welcome. More information is available at https://theatres.lu/fr/faustx.
Then, on Saturday 25 and Sunday 26 October 2025, the Grand Théâtre will stage performances of William Kentridge's The Great Yes, The Great No (at 15:00 and 19:30 on 25 October and at 17:00 on 26 October).
The venue summarised: "In March 1941, a cargo ship leaves Marseille for Martinique, carrying a remarkable group of passengers fleeing Vichy France, including surrealist André Breton, anthropologist Claude Lévi-Strauss and artist Wifredo Lam."
"In The Great Yes, The Great No, William Kentridge - returning after his red bridge project in 20-21 - transforms this real historical voyage into an allegory of forced migrations, past and present. The mythological ferryman of the dead, Charon, now promoted to captain of the ship, summons additional influential figures: Aimé and Suzanne Césaire, Frantz Fanon, the Nardal sisters, Léopold Senghor and even Joséphine Baker and Trotsky," the Grand Théâtre continued. "Blending opera, theatre, dance and Kentridge's signature visual artistry, this chamber opera is a tapestry of languages, music and histories. The Chorus of Seven Women forms the spiritual heart, giving voice to displaced people across time. The production integrates projections, masks and shadow play with Mahlangu’s vibrant choral score. A unique theatrical experience, part play, part oratorio, evoking the weight of exile and migration while celebrating the transformative power of art and human connection."
The 1.5-hour piece is being performed in French and English, as well as siSwati, isiZulu, isiXhosa, Setswana, Xitsonga and Sepedi, with surtitles in both English and French. Josée Hansen will give an introduction (in French) 30 minutes before each performance.
Ticket prices range from €15 to €25 for adults and €8 for youth; Kulturpass welcome. For further details, visit https://theatres.lu/fr/thegreatyesthegreatno.
For all performances, reservations can also be made via email: tickets@lestheatres.lu or via tel.: 4796-3901.
