The lines between fact and fiction, reality and artificially constructed connections, blur in this ambitious blend of conventional and physical theatre.
La Fenêtre centres upon Gabriel (Gilles Guillain), a meticulous and mercurial man whose penchant for perfection, and fascination with wine, frequently isolates him from society. Initially, the piece fixates upon Gabriel’s inability to connect, but the arrival of the lingering and increasingly sinister ‘Claude’ (Katherine Bristow) soon establishes that the one person Gabriel seemingly can interact with is not a human being at all.
As the relationship between the pair intensifies and complicates, Claude’s creation of an online space for Gabriel to chat about cheese and wine leaves a bitter aftertaste. It forces Gabriel to reconcile with why he is so brutally alone in the first place.
It is an interesting premise and one that brims with potential. Guillain is absorbing as Gabriel, with his sharp vocal delivery combining neatly with a fiercely impressive physical theatre skillset. He uses careful movements and striking physicality under Nadia Khivrych’s direction to convey more abstractly Gabriel’s stark psychological torment.
As ‘Claude’, Bristow’s precise ‘King’s English’ accent is a deft contrast to the lyrical softness of Guillain’s French. As a result, this helps Bristow craft Claude’s cold and mechanical nature. Looming ominously over and around Gabriel, the final scene elevates Claude’s character into one much more menacing than previously seen, in a lasting moment which makes writer Tej Panesar’s message about artificial intelligence and its growing disruption of human contact a little too thinly veiled.
That said, La Fenêtre succeeds in its blend of rich dialogue and convincing physical theatre. The transitions between these different genres are seamless, aided by Guillain’s sharp control. At just under an hour, the production never strays in its focus, leaving an obvious but ominous lasting impression about AI and its growing distortion of human behaviour.
