Tout à trac (pronounced tootatrak): French expression – 1549, rare before 1888; “without stopping” 1493; Aged. “To express oneself in an abrupt manner, suddenly and without preparation”.
Since 1998, Tout à Trac has been exploring the inner workings of imagination and of theatre through a creative process in which acting with masks, storytelling and puppetry all play an active part. This research process is supported by a playful and thorough approach in which the actor’s body takes center stage. Our company seeks out audiences wherever they may be… In theatres of course, but also in the streets. Playfulness and thoroughness are the cornerstones of our work: we create popular performances that are not populist but require extreme physical and artistic rigour. Our shows are for everyone, from the theatre connoisseur to the novice, and we believe it is possible to present audiences with a demanding and accessible performance without lowering the bar. With multiple levels of interpretation, our productions appeal to audiences of all ages as they are called upon to join us in our journey into the realm of imagination. As such, the play becomes a detonator for the explosive that rests within our collective and individual imagination. Chasing imaginary lands and discovering impossible worlds, we love to tell stories using the power of theatre and its conventions. Endlessly playing between real and fake, between truth and make-believe. Our mission is to create shows that artfully combine fantasy and reality, that let us dream with eyes wide open, let us travel without moving – plays where the spectator is more than just a passenger, as he is drawn INTO the story. He becomes a part of the voyage. He dreams with us. We believe in the strength of storytelling and the power of dreamers. Art is a living thing and dreams are experienced in real time.
Theatre as the gateway to imagination.