“In 1977, Maria Callas died in her home at number 36, on Avenue Georges Mandel in Paris. Interweaving performances and interviews with the world famous artist, this solo for Raimund Hoghe uses the life and art of Callas as a departure point for a bittersweet journey. Tracing the outlines of a life lived in the spotlight, a kindred sense of vulnerability is discovered; a life tinged with sadness and a search for redemption.
The divine diva that Hoghe evokes and celebrates…is Maria Callas. As her glorious voice surrounds us with arias of love – impassioned, unrequited, betrayed – Hoghe’s visual vignettes create a parallel sense of his own life, likewise in thrall to art and beauty – and determined, with his hunched back, to challenge our perceptions of both. A complex piece, demanding a sustained concentration from the audience, but hugely memorable because of Hoghe’s unswerving, unflinching honesty.”
Mary Brennan, The Herald (2009)