Charlie Windelschmidt
Charlie Windelschmidt is a theatre director with Compagnie Dérézo, based in Brest since May 2000. He is the author and director of more than forty productions in France and abroad. His work unfolds both on stage and in public space. He also designs urban performances and responds to major international site-specific commissions (USA, Turkey, Tunisia, Colombia, Indonesia, Italy…).
Contemporary writing lies at the core of his artistic practice. He has notably collaborated with Marine Bachelot, Régis Jauffret, Alexandre Koutchevksy, Lisa Lacombe, Garance Bonotto, Morgane Le Rest, Christian Prigent, Roland Fichet, Arn Sierens, Nicolas Richard, Jessica Roumeur, Gilles Auffray, Laurent Quinton, Stéphanie Tesson, among others. He has directed texts by Charles Pennequin, Christian Prigent, Pier Paolo Pasolini, Jan Fabre, Shakespeare, Bernard Noël, and Lewis Carroll.
While pursuing scientific studies in Toulouse, he had a formative experience in the circus world in the Midi-Pyrénées region, discovering his passion for the performing arts in 1993. After joining the Classe Libre at Cours Florent, he was admitted to ENSATT (École Nationale Supérieure des Arts et Techniques du Théâtre), while simultaneously studying theatre at Nanterre. From 2010 onward, he trained in block-based video programming (Max/MSP/Jitter).
In 2006, 2008, and 2010, he directed an exceptional theatrical journey travelling along the Nantes–Brest Canal: Kabarê Flottant.
From 2007 to 2011, he staged Microfictions by Régis Jauffret, working with more than 400 actors, notably at Théâtre du Rond-Point and live on France Culture during Nuit Blanche in Paris (2008), as well as for the 50th anniversary of the Ministry of Culture at Musée Malraux in Le Havre, and internationally in Atlanta and Washington DC. He was invited again to Nuit Blanche in 2010 with his research project Un trou dans la ville at Place des Abbesses. In 2013, he created Histoires Exquises with Emmanuelle Vo Dinh, director of Le Phare, Centre National Chorégraphique du Havre, presented at Atlas Theater in Washington DC.
He has also been an associated artist at Festival de Poche de Hédé (2008–2010), La Filature – Scène Nationale de Mulhouse (2010–2012), Le Volcan – Scène Nationale du Havre (2011–2014), and Atelier à Spectacle – Scène Conventionnée d’Intérêt National Art et Création du Pays de Dreux (2024–2026).
In 2013, he created Kabarê Solex (Chalon dans la Rue, CNAREP Quelque p’Art, CNAREP Le Fourneau, Festival de Sion – Switzerland, Les Rias…).
In 2015, he received the Villa Médicis Hors les Murs grant from Institut Français for his research on mask traditions in Indonesia, where he worked with several renowned Balinese masters.
From 2016 onward, he developed mobile culinary performance formats (Le Petit Déjeuner, Apérotomanie, and Par les bouches — 2025 creation), still touring across France.
In 2017, he responded to a commission from Institut Français and Théâtre National de Bretagne – School of Dramatic Arts in Rennes, creating Un Hueco en la Ciudad in Colombia, performed in Bogotá, Medellín, Barranquilla, Brest, Rennes, and Bordeaux for the Festival International des Arts de Bordeaux (FAB).In September 2018, Un Hueco en la Ciudad embarked on a new international tour in Majorca, Bologna, and Piccolo Teatro di Milano — Tramedautore Festival 2018.
In 2019, he created La Plus Petite Fête Foraine du Monde at CNAREP La Rochelle, a public-space production for which he received the Beaumarchais grant and the Prix Auteurs d’Espaces. He also created Alice, de l’autre côté at Le Volcan – Scène Nationale du Havre, based on Through the Looking-Glass and What Alice Found There by Lewis Carroll, revived in 2022 at Théâtre de la Tempête (Cartoucherie), Paris.
In 2022, Ce que voient les oiseaux premiered, a camerabased theatrical device for public space, first presented at the cross-border iTAK Festival – Scène Nationale de Maubeuge. The work was selected for L’Aube de la Création at Chalon dans la Rue (2021) and presented in the festival’s OFF program (2022).
In 2024, he created LENNUT: a low-tech cultural promenade (Festival Soñj, Fest’Arts de Libourne, L’Odyssée – Scène Conventionnée de Périgueux…).
In 2025, he created …Et les 7 nains ? (premiere at Le Quartz – Scène Nationale de Brest)
Contemporary writing lies at the core of his artistic practice. He has notably collaborated with Marine Bachelot, Régis Jauffret, Alexandre Koutchevksy, Lisa Lacombe, Garance Bonotto, Morgane Le Rest, Christian Prigent, Roland Fichet, Arn Sierens, Nicolas Richard, Jessica Roumeur, Gilles Auffray, Laurent Quinton, Stéphanie Tesson, among others. He has directed texts by Charles Pennequin, Christian Prigent, Pier Paolo Pasolini, Jan Fabre, Shakespeare, Bernard Noël, and Lewis Carroll.
While pursuing scientific studies in Toulouse, he had a formative experience in the circus world in the Midi-Pyrénées region, discovering his passion for the performing arts in 1993. After joining the Classe Libre at Cours Florent, he was admitted to ENSATT (École Nationale Supérieure des Arts et Techniques du Théâtre), while simultaneously studying theatre at Nanterre. From 2010 onward, he trained in block-based video programming (Max/MSP/Jitter).
In 2006, 2008, and 2010, he directed an exceptional theatrical journey travelling along the Nantes–Brest Canal: Kabarê Flottant.
From 2007 to 2011, he staged Microfictions by Régis Jauffret, working with more than 400 actors, notably at Théâtre du Rond-Point and live on France Culture during Nuit Blanche in Paris (2008), as well as for the 50th anniversary of the Ministry of Culture at Musée Malraux in Le Havre, and internationally in Atlanta and Washington DC. He was invited again to Nuit Blanche in 2010 with his research project Un trou dans la ville at Place des Abbesses. In 2013, he created Histoires Exquises with Emmanuelle Vo Dinh, director of Le Phare, Centre National Chorégraphique du Havre, presented at Atlas Theater in Washington DC.
He has also been an associated artist at Festival de Poche de Hédé (2008–2010), La Filature – Scène Nationale de Mulhouse (2010–2012), Le Volcan – Scène Nationale du Havre (2011–2014), and Atelier à Spectacle – Scène Conventionnée d’Intérêt National Art et Création du Pays de Dreux (2024–2026).
In 2013, he created Kabarê Solex (Chalon dans la Rue, CNAREP Quelque p’Art, CNAREP Le Fourneau, Festival de Sion – Switzerland, Les Rias…).
In 2015, he received the Villa Médicis Hors les Murs grant from Institut Français for his research on mask traditions in Indonesia, where he worked with several renowned Balinese masters.
From 2016 onward, he developed mobile culinary performance formats (Le Petit Déjeuner, Apérotomanie, and Par les bouches — 2025 creation), still touring across France.
In 2017, he responded to a commission from Institut Français and Théâtre National de Bretagne – School of Dramatic Arts in Rennes, creating Un Hueco en la Ciudad in Colombia, performed in Bogotá, Medellín, Barranquilla, Brest, Rennes, and Bordeaux for the Festival International des Arts de Bordeaux (FAB).In September 2018, Un Hueco en la Ciudad embarked on a new international tour in Majorca, Bologna, and Piccolo Teatro di Milano — Tramedautore Festival 2018.
In 2019, he created La Plus Petite Fête Foraine du Monde at CNAREP La Rochelle, a public-space production for which he received the Beaumarchais grant and the Prix Auteurs d’Espaces. He also created Alice, de l’autre côté at Le Volcan – Scène Nationale du Havre, based on Through the Looking-Glass and What Alice Found There by Lewis Carroll, revived in 2022 at Théâtre de la Tempête (Cartoucherie), Paris.
In 2022, Ce que voient les oiseaux premiered, a camerabased theatrical device for public space, first presented at the cross-border iTAK Festival – Scène Nationale de Maubeuge. The work was selected for L’Aube de la Création at Chalon dans la Rue (2021) and presented in the festival’s OFF program (2022).
In 2024, he created LENNUT: a low-tech cultural promenade (Festival Soñj, Fest’Arts de Libourne, L’Odyssée – Scène Conventionnée de Périgueux…).
In 2025, he created …Et les 7 nains ? (premiere at Le Quartz – Scène Nationale de Brest)
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