A crowded beach, the burning sun, bright bathing suits and sweaty brows and legs.
Tired limbs sprawling lazily across a sea of towels. The rumble of a volcano, or of an airplane, or a speedboat. The squeal of children, laughter, the sound of an ice-cream van in the distance. Sunbathers sing languid songs of worry, of boredom, of almost nothing. Songs of early morning flights and half-eaten sandwiches in the sand, the crinkling of plastic bags whirling in the air then floating silently, jellyfish-like below the waterline. Stories that glide between the mundane, the sinister, and the surreal.
Witness from above as an afternoon at the beach reveals a mesmerising exploration of the relationship between us and our planet.
Staged on an indoor beach at the Albany from 23rd June – 10th July, this durational work will unfold on a loop over several hours. Audiences will watch from the balcony as dozens of performers bring the scene below to life. At first appearing to present a vision of a mundane afternoon at the beach, at the heart of Sun & Sea lies an urgent exploration of our relationship with the planet, the threat climate change presents, and the dangers we face if it is ignored.
Presented as Lithuania’s national entry for the 2019 Venice Biennale, Sun & Sea’s all-female creative team – composer Lina Lapelytė, librettist Vaiva Grainytė, and director Rugilė Barzdžiukaitė – received the festival’s top award, the Golden Lion.
