21 > 27 September 2025
Performance in French, with English surtitles Sunday 21 & Saturday 27
For many African and Afro-descendant men, the barber shop is much more than a place to get a haircut. It is a gathering place, a space for confidences, where barbers inadvertently become wise men and where the barber shop turns into a place of belonging, memory, and intergenerational transmission; a space to talk about politics, family, migration, colonial heritage, dreams, and daily struggles, while laughing and sharing moments of vulnerability.
In a play that crosses continents, BARBER SHOP CHRONICLES invites the audience to discover six barber shops in six different cities (Kinshasa, Ouagadougou, Douala, Dakar, Abidjan, and Brussels) on a UEFA Champions League final day that captures the attention of millions, highlighting the diversity of Africa and its diaspora, while revealing the deep cultural connections that unite them.
Through the sharp, rhythmic dialogues of playwright Inua Ellams, combined with music, humor, and emotion, the new adaptation of BARBER SHOP CHRONICLES by Junior Mthombeni and Michael De Cock celebrates oral traditions, the power of storytelling, and the richness of Afro-descendant cultures.
