Fils de bâtard

MAPS is a theater company from Brussels resolutely focused on social issues and new writing. Its visibility comes largely from awards received: Festival Impatience, Prix des E.A.T., Label IMPACT, Prix Jumelles d'Or SACD... Its recent productions "Pourquoi Jessica a-t-elle quitté Brandon?", "La Ronde Flamboyante" and "Fils de bâtard" have been performed more than 250 times in Belgium and abroad. Beyond its shows, since 2012 MAPS Company has organized public readings, writing residencies, and provides support for artists.

Trained at IAD (Belgium), Olivier was quickly noticed as an actor in "Chatroom" directed by Sylvie de Braekeleer at Théâtre de Poche.
In 2024, La Libre Belgique awarded him 3 "critic's picks" for his co-directed productions of the year: "FAST", "Fils de bâtard" and "Histoire de la Fille qui ne voulait pas être un chien".

With Compagnie MAPS, he co-directs the last 4 shows ("Pourquoi Jessica a-t-elle quitté Brandon?", "Un pays sans rivière", "La Ronde Flamboyante" and "Fils de Bâtard"), infusing them with his poetic and humorous style, creating a strong connection with the audience. He is now focused on creating his personal project "NUITS".
Additionally, Olivier directs youth theater productions for Cie INTI INTI / Didier Poiteaux, for which he is frequently rewarded: "Un silence ordinaire" (RTJP Press Favorite), "L'Affaire Costalamone", "Suzy & Franck" (Maeterlinck Prize and IMPACT Label) and "FAST" (Huy Encounters Award – Minister of Education)

Previously, he had the opportunity to embrace directing with his own company Reste Poli Production, with which he created: "Du pain dans les poches" by Mateï Visniec, "Je voudrais pas crever" based on Boris Vian, "Les Nuits Blanches" by Dostoevsky and "Jackie (drame de princesse)" by Elfriede Jelinek.

Today, he is also a guest professor at the Conservatoire National de Mons / Arts2

Actor and playwright, he trained in philosophy at the Université Libre de Bruxelles, then in dramatic arts at ESAD (École Nationale de Paris). Shaped by his encounters and field investigations (Europe, Iran, Antarctica, DR Congo...), Emmanuel examines the complex layers of borders, immigration, identities, and the intimate relationship between body and territory.

His first personal project "Pourquoi Jessica a-t-elle quitté Brandon?" (portrait of a drone pilot) was created in 2018 at Théâtre de la Vie in Brussels (Brussels IMPACT Label, High School Students' Prize at the IMPATIENCE Festival in Paris, Maeterlinck Prize nomination). Its success in Belgium and at the 2022 Avignon Festival has already led to a tour of 175 performances.
In 2022, he was invited to the Théâtre National de Bruxelles (XS) for the creation of "Un pays sans rivière," which addresses the Libyan geopolitical situation with humor and poetry.

After several journeys, he wrote "La Ronde Flamboyante - pièce (il)légitime d'un fils du colonialisme" (Prize from the Associated Writers of the Paris Theater, Beaumarchais scholarship, published by Les Cygnes), directed in 2023 by Olivier Lenel at Théâtre des Martyrs in Brussels and Théâtre de Liège.

After 7 years of research across 3 continents, he created "Fils de bâtard," a Belgian press favorite in 2024 (Libre Belgique) that questions notions of filiation, colonialism, and virility.

He is now dedicated to the theatrical adaptation of "La Femme aux mains qui parlent" by French author Louise Mey, and is beginning work on "S3NS," a project about touch and the deconstruction of male sexuality (in residence at Théâtre d'Angoulême and Théâtre de Suresnes).
As an actor, he has worked alongside Philippe Beheydt, Pierre Solot, Lorent Wanson, Frédéric Dussenne, Olivier Lenel, Joëlle Cattino and Roland Mahauden. He co-founded Compagnie MAPS in 2012, with which he also created the festival of Iranian plays "UNTITLED" after several trips to Iran, as well as the productions "Un fleuve à la frontière" and "Exils 1914".

In 2024 he is a guest professor at the University of Louvain (Master's in journalism - subjective narration)

Orphise Labarbe loves boxing, dancing, reading, weaving and sewing. She is also a Belgian and Malagasy musician (vocals, guitar, oud, davul). In 2010, she graduated from the Conservatoire Royal de Liège in classical guitar.

Eager for new experiences, she explores different means of expression and creation, for a moment or forever. She has been a burlesque performer in the cabaret "Les Nuits des Demoiselles", a magician's assistant, a hospital musician, and acted in the film "Le couturier" by Jean-Jacques Rousseau. Through beautiful musical encounters during her open-ended travels, Orphise has refined her knowledge of traditional music, primarily Greek. For a decade, she has been the singer of the Brussels-based group Wata Wata (Balkan music).

She sings and plays in the trio Café ColaJ (French songs and Balkan music). She is currently preparing a solo project combining compositions, traditional music and performance.

Born in Angers in 1984. After obtaining his Diploma in Performing Arts Technical Management in Nantes, he moved to Brussels. He joined the technical team at Le Botanique (music venue) in 2009, then Les Riches-Claires (theater) in 2012. His eclecticism and curiosity led him to work on both musical projects (My Little Cheap Dictaphone, Cave Canem, BRNS...) and theatrical ones (Cie MAPS, La Tête à l'Envers, La Bête Noire - Céline Delbecq, Laurent Plumhans, Le Groupe Sanguin...). He has been the technical director of Compagnie MAPS since 2017 (lighting design for "Pourquoi Jessica a-t-elle quitté Brandon?", "Un pays sans rivière", "La Ronde Flamboyante", "Fils de Bâtard").

As an actress, she has performed under the direction of Jasmina Douieb, Emmanuel Guillaume, Philippe Beheydt and Brigitte Baillieux. As an assistant director, she has worked with Georges Lini and Frédéric Dussenne.

She is the author of about ten plays published by Lansman, including "Debout!", which received a mention at the Rencontres jeune public de Huy and has been translated into Spanish and Dutch. She won the Prix de l'Union des Artistes for "A l'heure où s'allument les lampes". She co-wrote "De mémoire de papillon", about the character of Lumumba. She co-authored "Exils 1914" and "Un pays sans rivière". She was assistant director for "La Ronde Flamboyante" and dramaturg for "Fils de bâtard"; she is developing her own project "Adversoeurs" within Cie MAPS.

Within Cie MAPS, she also coordinates artist residency programs and meeting days for the Creative Ecosystem. In 2024 she is a guest professor at the University of Louvain (Master's in journalism - subjective narration)

Concept and performance Emmanuel De Candido
Stage accomplices Orphise Labarbe and Clément Papin
Co-direction Emmanuel De Candido and Olivier Lenel
Musical creation François Sauveur and Pierre Constant  Scenography Sarah De Battice
Dramaturgical support Stéphanie Mangez and Caroline Godart
Costumes and accessories Cinzia Derom and Patrick Gautron
Movement Jean Pavageau

Touring Compagnie MAPS
Support Fédération Wallonie-Bruxelles, Taxshelter.be, ING and the Belgian federal government’s Tax-Shelter, COCOF (commission communauté française)
Residency & research support Chaufferie Acte-1, Centquatre (FR), Studios de Virecourt (FR), Théâtre National de Bruxelles – XS, Fondation Polaire Internationale/Station Princesse Elisabeth (BE & Antarctica), Cie Théâtre du Prisme (FR), LookIN’Out 2019, Festival de Liège, Fabrique de Théâtre, Le Séchoir (Reunion Island), Centre Culturel d’Uccle, Théâtre du Parc, Maison de la Création de Bockstael, Point Zéro, la Vénerie, le BAMP, le CWB de Kinshasa (Congo DRC), Résidence Enfants Admis / Cie MAPS, Collectif CBO