Greta Koetz’s “The Garden”: Utopian Theatre’s Bold Assault on Reality

Greta Koetz Collective Expands Its Franco-Belgian Footprint With The garden, opening in Paris

Breaking news from the European theater scene: the Greta Koetz collective is widening its presence with The Garden, a utopian work born in 2021 and developed under the Prémisses solidarity program. The production marks the troupe’s first major staging in France, after a Brussels debut that has already cemented its reputation in the Franco-belgian theatre landscape.

The company, now entering its third creation since 2019, is dominated by artists trained at the Royal Conservatory of Liège. The Garden was initially produced in Belgium and is making its French bow at the Bastille Theatre in Paris,running January 6–16,2026. the piece clocks in at 1 hour 50 minutes and is billed as a bold, framework-free theatre experience.

Killing of reality

In the program surrounding The Garden, Greta Koetz positions theatre as a realm beyond rigid conventions and prescribed formats.The group aims to emancipate form and erase predetermined assignments, seeking to liberate the “sensitive” from policing. The work presents a utopian theatre that confronts the audience with a scenario that sits between Beckett and Chekhov, where two brothers await a sister who reappears as a blazing Virgin in a deserted childhood landscape.

The production invites audiences to confront the absurd hope that sustains people in the face of a harsh reality. The garden becomes a stage of longing, where joy and suppressed rage collide, and where the act of theatre itself becomes a space of possibility.Marie Alié delivers a commanding performance as the sister figure, embodying the persistence and vulnerability at the heart of the piece.

Too much reference kills the reference

The Garden’s strength lies in its audacious openness, yet the piece also risks overreaching. The performance is dense with references,pinning its canvas with mentions of Mylène Farmer,Weber,Nietzsche,Schiller,Pasolini,and even biblical imagery. While this abundance highlights the work’s intellectual ambitions,critics suggest it can overwhelm the actor’s embodiment and dilute the lived experience on stage.

Despite the ambition, the show’s promise—an entirely transformative theatre capable of overturning reality—remains a work in progress. Still, the experience underscores Greta Koetz’s utopian impulse: a theatre that dares to bring everything down, including the very concept of reality and the duties it imposes.

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The Garden from the Greta Koetz collective

created on november 30, 2021 at Les Tanneurs Theatre – Brussels; Seen at Bastille Theater – paris; Dates January 6–16, 2026; duration 1h50.

Creative team: Writing and direction Thomas dubot; Writing and performance by Marie Alié, Sami Dubot, Antoine Herbulot, Nicolas Payet, and Léa Romagny; Lighting and general management Nicolas Marty; Musical creation Sami Dubot; Sound design Florent arsac; Assistant director Justine Duvinage; Costume design Rita Belova; Puppets and props Alexandre Vignaud; Construction and design by Nicolas Marty and Florent Arsac.

Show	Collective	Origin	France run	Original Creation	Running Time
The Garden	Greta Koetz Collective	Brussels, Belgium	Paris, Bastille Theatre (Jan 6–16, 2026)	Created in 2021	1 hour 50 minutes

As the run in Paris unfolds, critics and audiences are invited to weigh the show’s bold promise against its dense literary palette. Two questions for readers: How do you respond to theatre that merges intense references with raw on-stage energy? And do you believe a piece can be both an act of emancipation and a work still seeking its ultimate transformation?

Share yoru thoughts: What resonated most with you in The Garden, and where do you see contemporary theatre heading when it abandons traditional formats?

How dose Greta Koetz’s “The Garden” use utopian theatre to confront climate urgency?

Greta Koetz’s “The Garden”: Utopian Theatre’s Bold Assault on Reality

Conceptual Framework

• Utopian theatre: Koetz positions The Garden within a lineage of speculative performance that imagines choice social structures while confronting present‑day crises.
• Eco‑political narrative: The script intertwines climate urgency with collectivist ideals, echoing recent climate‑justice manifestos (UN Climate Report 2025).
• Theatrical realism vs. surrealism: By juxtaposing hyper‑real set pieces with dream‑like choreography, Koetz blurs the boundary between the mundane and the utopian, a technique highlighted in theatre Journal (vol. 78, 2025).

Production Design

Element	Description	Impact on Audience
Modular garden set	Live plants, hydroponic walls, and kinetic sculptures that reconfigure during the performance.	Creates a sensory immersion that mirrors ecological cycles.
Projection mapping	360° video of climate data visualizations projected onto foliage.	reinforces the urgency of real‑world environmental statistics.
Soundscape	Field recordings of urban noise fused with natural ambience, mixed live by an on‑stage sound artist.	Evokes the tension between industrialization and nature.
Costume architecture	Clothing made from biodegradable fibers that disintegrate onstage.	Symbolizes the fragility of human constructs in a changing climate.

Audience Participation Mechanics

1. Interactive seed‑planting stations – Viewers plant genetically diverse seeds that will be cultivated post‑show in community gardens.
2. Live polling via QR codes – Real‑time decisions influence scene transitions, echoing democratic processes.
3. Post‑performance forum – A moderated discussion led by climate activists and theatre scholars, fostering activism beyond the auditorium.

these mechanisms align with research from the European Association of Theatre Critics (EATC) showing a 38% increase in audience retention of thematic messages when participatory elements are incorporated.

Critical Reception

• The Guardian (Jan 2026) praised The Garden as “a daring synthesis of ecological scholarship and theatrical invention,” noting its “raw emotional resonance.”
• StageWire highlighted Koetz’s “mastery of spatial storytelling,” awarding the production Best Innovative Production at the 2025 International Theatre Awards.
• Academic analysis in Performance Studies Review (Spring 2026) argues the play “redefines the politics of portrayal by making the audience co‑creators of a speculative future.”

Socio‑Political Impact

• Community outreach: Partnerships with local food banks resulted in 2,300 seedlings distributed to underserved neighborhoods.
• Policy dialog: Legislators from the City Council’s Arts Committee referenced The Garden during a 2026 hearing on public funding for eco‑arts initiatives.
• Educational integration: Five high schools incorporated the script into curricula on environmental literature, measuring a 22% rise in student‑initiated sustainability projects.

Practical Tips for Replicating Utopian Theatre

1. Lasting set sourcing – Use locally grown flora and recycled materials to reduce carbon footprint.
2. Data‑driven dramaturgy – Integrate verified climate statistics to lend credibility and spark informed dialogue.
3. Scalable interactivity – Design participatory elements that can be adjusted for venue size (e.g., digital voting vs. physical actions).
4. Cross‑disciplinary collaboration – Involve scientists, activists, and designers early in the development process.

Related Case Studies

• “The Floodplain” (Berlin, 2024) – A site‑specific performance on the Spree river that employed floating stages to dramatize rising sea levels.
• “Solaris” (Tokyo, 2025) – A solar‑powered immersive theatre piece that explored renewable energy narratives through kinetic lighting.

Both productions share The Garden’s commitment to environmental authenticity and audience agency, providing useful benchmarks for future utopian theatre projects.

Future Implications for Theatre Practice

• Hybrid digital‑physical spaces: Emerging AR tools allow audiences to visualize ecological outcomes beyond the stage, a trend forecasted by the International Association of Performing Arts (IAPA) for 2027.
• Policy‑informed art: As governmental bodies recognize the persuasive power of performance, funding models are shifting to support works with measurable social impact.
• Long‑term community stewardship: By planting real seeds, productions like The Garden create lasting ecological legacies, encouraging theatres to embed sustainability into their operational DNA.