Obscene Madame D

Memory, madness, or manifesto? Enter the shadow world of the Obscene Madame D with Theatre Kantanka, an immersive and spellbinding environment of binaural sound, hand-crafted animation, and gripping live theatre.

Iconoclastic Brazilian writer Hilda Hilst’s hallucinatory novel has been called “shocking, exquisite, mesmerizing, metaphysical” and “like Kafka but with the laugh of the Medusa”.

For this daring new adaptation, the audience wears wireless headphones to directly inhabit the psychological landscape of grieving recluse, Madame D, living below the stairs after the death of her husband. As she ponders ineffable questions both familiar and absurd, we share the atmospheric sounds and intimate voices of Madame D’s insurrectionary life and mind.

Katia Molino commands a singular, unforgettable performance as the taboo-challenging woman living out her final days in fiery poetic prose and passionate debate — with herself, her god and her ghosts.

Creative Team

Director: Carlos Gomes
Performer: Katia Molino
Composer Sound Artist: Gail Priest
Video Artist: Sam James
Light Design: Fausto Brusamolino
Producer: Harley Stumm, Intimate Spectacle