La Distance by Tiago Rodrigues is set in the year 2077, in a world increasingly shaped by climate crisis. Humanity now lives on two planets – Earth and Mars – and a father and daughter inhabit separate realities, divided not only by vast physical distance but also by different visions of the future. The performance tells an intimate story of a relationship that must find its way in a world that is no longer shared.

One of the most important figures in contemporary European theatre and Artistic Director of Festival d’Avignon, Rodrigues constructs a precisely composed performance about love, responsibility, and intergenerational tension. La Distance explores themes of emancipation, independence, and unspoken declarations, asking how far future generations may drift from those who came before them – and whether mutual understanding will still be possible.

The minimalist form of the production is built around a revolving stage divided into two spaces, symbolically corresponding to Earth and Mars, and a carefully calibrated relationship between text, movement, light, and sound. The shifting rhythm of the performance underscores the tension between intimacy and distance, creating a meditative tone that runs throughout the work.

Distance is a story about a father–daughter relationship, but also about responsibility for the future in a world marked by environmental crisis. Its presentation in Poznań will be the Polish premiere of a Malta Festival co-production and the only Polish stop on the production’s international tour.

ABOUT THE CREATORS

 Tiago Rodrigues

Portuguese actor, director, and playwright, and one of the most important figures in contemporary European theatre. Since 2022, he has served as Artistic Director of the Festival d’Avignon. He is the co-founder of the company Mundo Perfeito, with which he has created productions presented at theatrical institutions around the world. From 2015 to 2021, he was Artistic Director of Teatro Nacional D. Maria II in Lisbon. His work combines intimate storytelling with strong social engagement and a pronounced focus on the relationship between actor and audience. His productions have been presented on major European stages, including Holland Festival, Wiener Festwochen, and the Edinburgh International Festival, and he has created premieres at the invitation of institutions such as the Comédie-Française, Comédie de Genève, and NTGent. His most widely recognised works include By Heart, Sopro, Catarina and the Beauty of Killing Fascists, No Yogurt for the Dead, and La Distance, presented at Malta Festival, as well as reinterpretations of classics such as Antony and Cleopatra and The Cherry Orchard. 

Adama Diop

Actor and director born in Dakar, Senegal. He moved to France in 2002 to study at the Conservatoire national d’art dramatique in Montpellier, before continuing his training at the Conservatoire national supérieur d’arts dramatiques in Paris. As an actor, he has worked with many leading theatre directors, including Bernard Sobel, Julien Gosselin, Stéphane Braunschweig, Arthur Nauzyciel, Frank Castorf, and Jean-François Sivadier. He has appeared on major European stages, including the Festival d’Avignon, where he performed in Tiago Rodrigues’ production of The Cherry Orchard in the Cour d’honneur. Alongside his theatre work, Diop is active as a director and regularly appears in film and radio productions. He is also involved in educational initiatives, including the development of theatre training projects in Senegal.

 Alison Dechamps

 Actress and graduate of the Conservatoire d’Art Dramatique in Nantes. In 2021, she joined the ensemble of the Théâtre National de Bretagne. She played in La Tour de Constance, directed by Guillaume Vincent, and in Dreamers II by Pascal Rambert.