StOry of the company...

The Tof Théâtre was born in 1986 on Alain Moreau’s initiative and during the creation of the show “Le Tour du Bloc”.
Originally created for an adult audience, the show was performed over 500 times for both adults and children around the world. The company very quickly took to travelling the world over and this first show was presented in up to thirteen countries.

Always the centrepiece of their shows, the puppets can measure anywhere from 5 centimetres to 5 metres in height, sometimes designed for exclusively for adults, sometimes only for children and often for both. An adept of “miniature realism,” the Tof deconstructs the traditional techniques for manipulating puppets and lets the audience see how the puppeteer manipulates the puppet. Moving out of the darkness of traditional theatre settings, the Tof Théâtre is also present on the street with shows especially designed for that effect.

Countries that have organized Tof Théâtre tours:

France, Holland, Spain, Portugal, Italy, Great Britain, Slovakia, Canada, the USA, Germany, Switzerland, the Grand Duchy of Luxemburg, Denmark, Byelorussia, Austria, Finland, Israel, Brazil, Czech Republic, the Ukraine, Vietnam, Ireland, Morocco, the Congo, Burkina Faso, Guyana.

Totally irrational...

In 1996, the Tof decided to organize an international puppet festival in Genappe. And it worked! The event came to be called “Des Pieds et des Mains” (Hands and Feet). We repeated the whole thing in 1998, and the event was attended by over 5000 people, over a period of the four-day festival. Due to a lack of time and above all financial support, the festival was ‘put out to grass’ for an undetermined length of time. In 2001, the Tof initiated “Le Petit Bazaar Erotik” with the complicity of ten European companies. C
reated at the Halles de Schaerbeek, this grand ambulatory evening event was presented some 25 times in Europe despite the considerable weight of the project, the 20 or so participants, all working with small forms associated with puppets, objects and eroticism. From 2002 to 2006, our madness was less obvious...or was it? The Tof set up shop in an old run-down cinema in Genappe (close to Brussels), the MONTY. Some time later and after much sweat, a welcoming bar and a small theatre with seating for 100 opened to the public. With evening showings of full performances or segments of works in progress, these one-shot events also welcome other companies.

Shows

1987 «Le tour du bloc», (co-produced with La Filipendule) conception: Alain Moreau; script, scenography and puppets: Agnés Lebrun and Alain Moreau; “Exterior viewpoint”: Ioanna Gkizas. 
550 performances in Belgium, France, Holland, Spain, Austria, Switzerland, Canada, Slovakia, Ex-USSR, England, the USA

1989 «Radio Tom», conception and scenography: Alain Moreau; puppets: Antoinette Brouyaux; stage direction: Francy Begasse. 
200 performances in Belgium, France, Holland.

1992 «Camping sauvage», conception, direction, scenography and puppets: Alain Moreau; script: Alain Moreau and Caroline Bergeron. 
530 performances in Belgium, France, Holland, Grand Duchy of Luxemburg, Denmark, Canada.

“Coup de Cœur” from the press, “Pierre Thonon” award and special mention by the jury for exceptional work on emotions at the Rencontres/Selection at Huy, 1992.

1995 «Cabane», direction, scenography and puppets: Alain Moreau, script: Alain Moreau and Caroline Bergeron. 
550 performances in Belgium, France, Holland, Germany, Italy, Spain, Denmark, Austria, Portugal, Switzerland, Canada, Israel. Rencontres/Selection at HUY 1995 awarded: Minister of Culture Prize, City of Huy prize, “Coup de Foudre” from the press, special mention by the jury. Grand Prix from the jury at the International Puppet Festival and Animated Forms at Cannes in 1998

1996 «Eugène, le Roi de la frite», conception, direction, scenography and puppets: Alain Moreau. 
Street theatre, 800 performances in Belgium, Holland, France, Germany, Italy, Spain, Finland, Denmark, England, Austria, Portugal, Switzerland, Canada.

1998 «Patraque», direction, scenography and puppets: Alain Moreau; script: Alain Moreau and Caroline Bergeron; Assistant director: Caroline Bergeron. 530 performances in Belgium, France, Holland, Italy, Spain, Portugal, Canada. Rencontres/Selection at Huy 199 awarded: Special mention by the jury for “the exceptional work on emotions and retranscription of daily life”, “Coup de Cœur” from the press.

2001 «Le Petit Bazar Erotik», co-conception and co-direction: Alain Moreau and Caroline Bergeron. 25 performances in Belgium, France, Spain and Portugal.
 Participating companies: Vélo-Théâtre (F), Théâtre Manarf (F),Théâtre de Cuisine (F), Green Ginger/Pickled Image (GB),Turak (F), La Balestra (F), Les Petits Miracles (F), Compagnie Gare Centrale (B) and Laïka (B). Co-produced with the Halles de Schaerbeek, EQUINOXE, National theatre of Chateauroux and La Laiterie in Strasbourg. Within the framework of Premis Fad Sebatia Gasch, awarded the “Aplaudiment Internacional Joan German Schreöder” in Barcelona in 2002. Prize for the best foreign show of the season in Catalonia.

2002 «Les Zakouskis Erotiks», conception, script, direction, scenography and puppets: Alain Moreau.
 60 performances in Belgium, Switzerland, France, Germany, Holland, Austria.

2002 «Duel», conception, direction and scenography: Caroline Bergeron, assisted by Alain Moreau for the direction.
 50 performances in Belgium, France, Portugal, Grand Duchy of Luxemburg. Co-produced with the Centro Cultural de Belém (Portugal), and Très Tôt Théatre, Quimper.

2003 «A tout jamais ! / Lebwohl, bis Morgen !», conception, script (in collaboration with the actors) direction, scenography and puppets: Alain Moreau. Co-produced with the Theater Marabu, Bonn.
 150 performances to date in Belgium, France, Switzerland, Germany, Byelorussia, Portugal, Brazil, Italia, Holland, Czech Republic. “Coup de Cœur” from the press and the Minister for Young Children and Fundamental Education prize at the RencontresThéâtre Jeune Public in Huy 2003.

2004 «Bistouri» (street version) conception, script (in collaboration with the actors), direction, scenography and puppets: Alain Moreau. Co-produced with the Festival des Arts Forains “Namur en mai,” complicity with “Percursos”, European project lead by the Centro Cultural de Belém. Performances in Belgium, France, Switzerland, Spain, Italy, Canada, Portugal, Israel.

2005 «Les Bénévoles» (events and shows) conception, script, direction, scenography and puppets: Alain Moreau.
 Co-produced with PASS-Scientific adventure park Mons-Frameries, the Théâtre de Namur/Dramatic Centre. With the participation of the Centre des Arts Scéniques (Performing Arts Centre), and with the complicity of the festival “Théâtre à Tout Age”, Quimper. 150 performances in Belgium, France, Italy, Portugal and Vietnam.

2006 «Bistouri» (theatre version) conception, script (in collaboration with the actors), direction, scenography and puppets: Alain Moreau. Over 250 performances to this day in Belgium, France, Israel, Brazil, Morocco and Ireland.

2007 «Fritkot», a recreation and adaptation of “Le Roi de la frite” in a caravan. 50 performances in Belgium and France.

2007 «Le grand retour», conception, script, scenography and staging: Alain Moreau. 50 performances in France, in the Reunion and in Vietnam. In February 2008, the show was awarded a Gold Medal at the Festival International de Marionnettes de Hanoi (Vietnam), as well as the prize from the Press and the Public.

2009 «Premiers pas sur la Dune», a show without words from 3 years and up: Conception, script, staging, scenography and puppets: Alain Moreau. 400 performances to this day in Belgium, France, Portugal, Italy, Germany, Denmark. Awarded Minister of Culture Prize and “Coup de cœur” from the press (Rencontres de Huy – August 2009).

2009 «Sur la dune», a show for adults: Conception, script, staging, scenography and puppets: Alain Moreau. 50 showings to this day in Belgium, France, Italy and Denmark.
 Show nominated with the Prix de la Critique 2010 award in the category of Artistic Creation and Technique.

2011 «Piccoli Sentimenti», a show for young people ages 3 and up. Co-produced with the Teatro delle Briciole and inspired by the world of Antonio Catalano. Piccoli Sentimenti was attributed the “Prix Résonnances” prize at the 21st Festival International Jeune Public Momix in Kingersheim (France). It has been nominated in Belgium as the best show in the category ‘Young Audiences’ at the 2012 “Prix de la Critique”. Winner of “Coup de Coeur” by the press (Rencontres de Huy - August 2012).

2013 «In the Workshop» a short performance followed by a workshop in how to make a puppet, designed for children of 8 years and up. Creation in February 2013 at the National Theatre, Brussels.

2014 "Soleil Couchant" Creation in February 2014 for the ONZE, Biennale de la Marionnette et des Formes manipulées - Mayenne, Sarthe, Maine-et-Loire.