Martror

A mix of street theatre, popular entertainment, and solemn commemoration, with a touch of carnival. That's Martror, produced by the drama company Théatre des Origines each year in Pézenas to mark the Day of the Dead. This was the event last year.

It's attended by hundreds of people, perhaps too many now for the narrow streeets of the old town which make a wonderful backdrop to the scenes played out in squares and on balconies. And it will change - it seems that there are problems with funding, as there are for many arts events and festivals here in the current economic climate, and the Théatre des origines say it's their last spectacle after 10 years of this performance. Who else can take up their role of recruiting schoolchildren and developing scenes in the schools, of working with people who attend a Day Hospital, of involving volunteers to act as extras, guide the crowds, and even make soup for everybody?