Ulrich N’Toyo Breaks the Silence of Taboos Around Slavery at Les Zébrures Festival
The premiere of Ulrich N’Toyo’s play, Le silence des tabous, took place at the Les Zébrures festival in Limoges from September 23 to October 3, 2026. Performed at MAD – Jean Moulin, the work explores the untold narratives surrounding the transatlantic slave trade. Since relocating to France in 2007, the Congolese artist has researched in regions such as French Guiana, Martinique, Guadeloupe, Congo, and Normandy. The narrative centers on Vanessa and Kongo, a couple grappling with infertility as they delve into Kongo’s ancestral past. N’Toyo characterizes the piece as ritualistic, probing themes of the sacred and identity. The production features expansive white fabrics that represent memories, with Irène Bicep and Sarah Dambre in the cast. A talk with the actors occurred after the show.
Key facts
- Le silence des tabous premiered at Les Zébrures festival in Limoges, running from 23 September to 3 October 2026.
- The play is written and directed by Ulrich N’Toyo, a Congolese artist born in Pointe-Noire, Congo-Brazzaville, and based in France since 2007.
- N’Toyo collected oral histories in French Guiana, Martinique, Guadeloupe, Congo, and Normandy to create the work.
- The narrative centers on Vanessa and Kongo, a couple struggling with infertility, who travel to Kongo’s African homeland to confront their pasts.
- The set features large white fabrics suspended from the ceiling, representing memories between sky and earth.
- A song collected in Congo tells of a village chief who had to deliver five able men in exchange for a family member’s release.
- The cast includes Irène Bicep (Guadeloupean) and Sarah Dambre (Burkinabé métisse).
- N’Toyo directs the Youle Compagnie in Rouen, a city historically the fourth departure point of the French triangular trade, and involves a residents’ committee in decisions.
Entities
Artists
- Ulrich N’Toyo
- Irène Bicep
- Sarah Dambre
- Vanessa
- Kongo
- Ulrich N'Toyo
- Muriel Maalouf
Institutions
- Les Zébrures
- Youle Compagnie
- MAD – Jean Moulin
- Total
- RFI
- Festival des Zébrures
Locations
- Limoges
- France
- Pointe-Noire
- Congo-Brazzaville
- Guyane
- Martinique
- Guadeloupe
- Congo
- Normandie
- Rouen
- Loango
- Kongo
- Portugal