Musical show for all ages, from 6+

The Epic of Gilgamesh is often studied in the sixth-grade history curriculum as part of the chapters on Mesopotamia, the pre-Islamic Near East and the birth of writing.

This is a new version, freely inspired by the Epic, with the twofold intention of placing music at the heart of the story. It’s a monologue by Gilgamesh himself, who returns from the mists of time to recount his memories, which are also those of humankind. The main episodes and characters from this incredible epic all feature in the story, along with universal questions about friendship, death, desire and the quest for immortality.

Recorded at the Centre National de Création Musicale Voce Pigna (Corsica)

46’ show followed by interviews / exchanges between the artists and the audience

The Assyrian tablets contain some very old poems, the origins of which are lost in the mists of time. The longest, and perhaps also the most curious, recounts the fabulous exploits of the hero Gilgamesh, king of the legendary city of Uruk, in Chaldea, and his rival Enkidu, a wild man.

The two giants become friends and embark on a series of adventures, during which they defeat fantastic creatures and even challenge the goddess Ishtar, who tries to seduce Gilgamesh. The vengeance of the Gods is terrible and leads Gilgamesh to lose his friend Enkidu forever. Throughout his adventures, Gilgamesh gradually discovers that there are a thousand ways to become immortal...

Today, nearly 4,000 years after the story was written down on clay tablets in Akkadian, Sumerian and Hittite, Gilgamesh is still remembered. Whether he was legendary or a real historical figure, he has become immortal, because we perpetuate his memory and that of his brother Enkidu, both of whom are now part of the memory of humankind.