Throughout his rich and bountiful work (Le chagin des Ogres, Life: Reset/Chronique d’une ville épuisée...), Fabrice Murgia has never ceased observing his generation by exploring themes such as loneliness, new technologies, childhood... He draws on his working-class and resistant background, seeks inspiration from reality and from his research, for staging performances that stir and disturb. With Notre peur de n’être, created this summer at the Festival d'Avignon, the winner of the recent Silver Lion at the Venice Biennale goes a step further by approaching today's virtual world without melodrama or naive optimism. Its strengths (infinite access to knowledge, collective intelligence, a new language...) and its drifts (addictions, isolation, threats on our private lives ...). A complete and visual show placed under the sign of hope, utopias and the transformation of the world. Which is based, in particular, on the essay Petite Poucette by Michel Serres in which the philosopher analyzes the effects of three successive revolutions: the passage from written to oral communication, from oral to printed communication and from printed communication to new technologies. To fuel his creation, Fabrice Murgia also took inspiration from the Hikikomori, these young Japanese adults cut off from the world who have chosen to live secluded, alone with their screens, in order to escape this increasingly brutal society. In the end, Notre peur de n’être addresses our civilization, its discontent and its crises, with an optimistic view that is projected into the future. The director speaks beautifully well of this youth "which needs to hope", with its strengths and energy, in the light of new technologies as a source of expression and counter-culture. This movie-style play is performed by six talented actors, a clean and energetic staging, as well as an original soundtrack. A true theatrical machine that makes this Peur de n’être a fascinating and compelling picture of the modern world.

Fabrice Murgia is artist in-residence at the Théâtre National Brussels.