LABO is a theatrical creation by Collectif 4237 that approaches experimentation through its content rather than its form, questioning what it means to exist as an individual within society. The presence of the audience serves as a constant reminder of life under the watch of a larger, invisible force.
Spectators take on shifting roles throughout the performance — sometimes voyeuristic observers, sometimes empathetic witnesses — simulating a laboratory experiment. The show examines how the gaze of others (society, the audience, fellow artists) shapes those who are watched.
Costumes play a central symbolic role: the artists put them on in full view of the audience, establishing the theatrical convention while reflecting on how every person is 'costumed' from birth by the social system they are born into. This mise en abyme creates a layered reflection on belonging, conformity, and freedom.
LABO moves through scenes that evoke different stages of life — the curiosity of childhood, the questioning of adolescence, the positioning of adulthood, and the acceptance of old age — producing moments that are playful, poetic, and absurd in equal measure.
The piece is co-directed by Didier Lucien and is presented as part of the Série Inusitée programme at the Grande Salle of Salle Pauline-Julien.