This event stands for the sorrow of thousands who cannot mourn as they wish.

The Grief of Red Granny is the first part of a two-part AfrOpera on individual and collective grief. Here, we embark on an emotional journey through the heart of a woman, loosely inspired by Queen Elisabeth and portrayed by actress Tine Joustra. She welcomes us in the ruins of her memories and takes us along on the waves of her overwhelming grief.

In this ritualized AfrOpera, Gorges Ocloo gives a place and a voice to those who do not have an opportunity to say goodbye to their loved ones in person: the parents of missing children, the victims of wars, pandemics, terrorist attacks….
 
With his characteristic surreal imagery, Ocloo presents this enigmatic mourning process in
the Garden of Eden. Six angels – three classical singers and three instrumentalists, all from South Africa – form the ensemble. The musical leitmotif is Stabat Mater by Pergolesi. “I will bring Pergolesi to my Voodoo church”, says Ocloo. His radical arrangement of this famous composition draws inspiration from extravagant mourning and burial rituals from around the world. A universal sound of sorrow and celebration.