Avignon Theatre Festival calls for boycott of Le Pen’s party

Against the backdrop of groundbreaking early elections in which the right-wing populist party led by Marine Le Pen could triumph, the director of the well-known theater festival in Avignon has called for a boycott of the party.

It is the historic responsibility of the festival to call for everyone to participate in the parliamentary elections, to promote voting in the democratic sphere and to bring everyone together to block the extreme right, explained Tiago Rodrigues at the opening of the world-famous event on Saturday evening.

Rodrigues also told the radio station “France Bleu Vaucluse” that he considered cooperation with the extreme right to be a betrayal. French President Emmanuel Macron dissolved parliament and called new elections following his party’s poor performance in the European elections.

According to polls, these could pave the way for a right-wing populist government. The first round started on Sunday (June 30), the second round will take place on July 7.

With “Demon. El funeral de Bergman”, the Spanish performance artist Angélica Liddell opened the festival in the courtyard of the Papal Palace on Saturday evening. In her work, the actress and director addressed fears, questions about sin, depravity, morality and death. In the performance, Liddell recreated the funeral of the legendary Swedish filmmaker Ingmar Bergman.

The festival, which runs until July 21, includes over 30 performances.