Open rehearsal of “Trabajos Forzados” by Ça Marche

Trabajos forzados by the company Ça Marche is a show in Catalan Sign Language (LSC) and oral Spanish that questions the dynamics of language and its relationship with the body, starting from the idea of ​​silence, both chosen and imposed. On stage, Pepita, a Deaf performer, tells stories and answers questions in LSC, creating a dialogue between different ways of perceiving and expressing the world. She is accompanied by the director of the show and an LSC interpreter, who not only translates, but also becomes an active part of the piece, challenging the very act of interpreting.

Inspired by the legacy of oral storytelling and the need for communities to tell stories to build their collective identity, Trabajos forzados proposes a sensory journey where sign language is not limited to being a translation, but is a fundamental part of the stage writing. Through gesture, vibration and silence, the show invites both Deaf and hearing people to share an experience that challenges the limits of what we understand by accessibility and language.

As Oliver Sacks says: “Users of a language tend towards a naive realism, because they tend to see their language as a reflection of reality and not as a construction.” Often, those who use the voice are considered “speakers”, as if the possibility of speaking were unique and sign language were not also a full language. Trabajos forzados invites the viewer to suspend what they take for granted—language, immediate understanding—and to immerse themselves in an experience where communication is as bodily as it is linguistic.

Artistic details
Direction and authorship – Nico Jongen in collaboration with Berta Frigola
Drama – Roberto Fratini
Performers – Pepita Cedillo
Space and lighting – Marc Salicrú
Production management – ​​Laura Viñals
Costume design – Mariona Signes
Sound – Adrià Juan
Catalan sign language interpreter (LSC) – Javi Díez
External view – Víctor Molina
A co-production of – Conde Duque Madrid, Azkuna Zentroa and Ça marche
With the support of – Teatro Municipal do Porto, Théâtre de Liège, la Comédie de Reims, FuturLab Europe – European research project

A project by the resident company Ça Marche

This is an open rehearsal of a stage project still in the process of creation.