Domini Públic

Synopsis
Biography
Information

Domini Públic is (like) a game.

A life-size board game in which the spectator is more than just a pawn. Theatre-maker Roger Bernat assembles a group of people – Northern Stage’s audience members – at Northern Stage theatre and in an outdoor space. Who are they, where do they come from, and what is their relationship to each other? They walk across the space whilst listening to a series of questions and instructions on their headphones.

Were you born in Newcastle? Take one step to the side. Do you always sleep on the same side of the bed? Put up your hand. Some questions are more innocent than others. The same can’t be said for the result; through the participants’ simple movements, small groups start to form in the audience. These micro communities expose underlying social patterns and tell a tale that Bernat carefully orchestrates.

While Domini Públic starts off looking like a 3D poll brought to life, the project ends up transforming into a bizarre fiction. This Catalan theatre-maker goads on the spectator, who plays a central role in this project, without requiring him to bare himself as an individual.

Catalan director Roger Bernat (b. 1968) is a leading figure in the performing arts in Spain. After studying architecture, he discovered theatre and at the age of 25 he entered the Institut del Teatre in Barcelona to study directing and dramaturgy.

In 1997 he founded General Elèctrica, a centre of creation of dance and theatre, which he co-directed with Tomàs Aragay until 2001. Well known in Catalonia for their daring and engaged projects, General Elèctrica created a dozen remarkable productions.

Roger Bernat often concentrates on a variety of specific social groups (heroes, transsexuals, cab drivers, etc.) in his ongoing search for new theatrical forms. His best-known plays include Que algú em tapi la boca (2001), Bona gent (2003) in collaboration with Juan Navarro, Amnèsia de fuga (2004), LA LA LA LA (2004), Tot és perfecte (2005) and Das Paradies Experiment (2007). Apart from his stage work, Roger Bernat also directs film.