Bouffon mono-performance "Zero"

Category EMERGING ARTISTS

The buffoonery mono-performance Zero is an innovative performing arts project introducing the still little-known genre of buffoonery in Lithuania and across Europe. It is a provocative form of physical theatre, comedy, and contemporary circus, in which grotesque, parody, and irony become tools for addressing social flaws and the realities of contemporary life.

The performance questions society’s relationship with materialism, consumerism, and the constant pursuit of productivity, which often leads to burnout and the loss of a sense of happiness. The main character – the buffoon Zero – is an outcast who observes people’s lives and the absurd rituals of everyday existence from the sidelines. Through grotesque humor and parody, he mocks politicians, corporations, cultural institutions, and our own habits.

A defining feature of buffoonery is the absence of the “fourth wall,” making the audience an inseparable part of the performance. Their spontaneous reactions and behavior are reflected on stage, transforming the piece into a living dialogue between performer and audience.

Zero seeks not only to highlight the issues of contemporary society, but also to introduce international audiences to a performing arts genre that has existed for more than 500 years, yet remains rarely seen in Lithuania.

This is not just a performance, but an invitation to pause, look at ourselves from the outside, and ask: how much authenticity is left in our everyday lives?

NULIS Company is a contemporary circus and physical theatre creative platform founded in 2026, whose artistic direction is rooted in experimentation, collective creation, and the continuous awakening of curiosity – both for the artists themselves and for their audiences. The company was founded by director Aistė Rekašiūtė and actress and buffoon Gabrielė Penčylaitė, two young creators seeking to expand the boundaries of performing arts and explore new forms of theatrical expression.

Together with a team of collaborators – scenographer Guoda Korsakaitė, makeup artist Severija Bružaitė, dramaturge Dominykas Matulionis, and buffoonery mentors – they create performances for adult audiences. The work of NULIS Company brings together contemporary circus, physical theatre, and comedy, exploring the intersections of different stage genres and the possibilities of their synthesis.

Through physical expression, grotesque, and playful stage language, NULIS Company aims to create vivid, unexpected, and provocative theatre that invites audiences to experience, question, and discover.

The Emerging Creators Program is supported by Baltisches Haus.