A Laugh to Cry is a metaphysical theatre embodying eternal archetypes with music and multilingual libretto by Miguel Azguime.
Reflecting on the devastation of the Earth, on the barbarism of war, on the destruction of Nature, on the hegemonic power of the “market” and the consequent annihilation of cultures, on the loss of civilisational memory, he speculates and confronts us with the possible collapse of humanity but also with its eventual rebirth.
The opera takes place on the edge between dream and reality, between the visible and the invisible. It is divided into several sections in which five characters, represented by two sopranos, a bass/baritone and two narrators (one female and one male), live and act in constant alternation between these two states.
In addition to these 5 interpreters, 7 acoustic instruments intervene: flute, clarinet, violin, viola, cello, piano and percussion and electronic means in real time.
Miguel Azguime (Portugal) – music and text composition, performance & concept
Paula Azguime (Portugal) – art director, video composition & concept
Andre Bartetzki (Germany) – technology director & software development
Perseu Mandillo (Portugal) – 3D contents, video & projecting développer
Margarida Moreira - Light
Miso Studio - Technics
The staging is based on multiple video projections built in symbiosis from music and text.