Photo : Francis sauve le monde © DR
Francis sauve le Monde
Cie Victor B
(Belgium)
A madcap, metaphysical and political fable with puppets and stuffed toys
Scenes can hurt the sensitivity of some viewers
The zany company of our long-term partner Jean-Michel Frère returns to Les Tombées de la Nuit after Walking Thérapie (2017), Trop de Guy Béart tue Guy Béart (première in 2010) and Kermesse (première in 2008). With this boisterous and trashy adaptation for three actors of Claire Bouilhac and Jake Raynal’s famous comic strip Francis, the Belgian crew from Victor B relaunch their attack on political correctness through the harsh world of this post-modern anti-hero.

It is really no surprise that Jean-Michel Frère is drawn to the caustic world of Francis the badger and his collection of pig, mouse, rat, fox and wolf companions. Like something from La Fontaine, mixed with the scathing cruelty of Reiser or Desproges, this comic strip digs into unemployment, ecology, capitalism, consumerism, humanitarianism, dictatorships, overpopulation, AIDS and more, tearing into political correctness, bigotry and all political, economic and social preconceptions. “Francis is weak, cowardly, cynical, cruel and egocentric,” explain Pauline Desmarets, François Saussus and Sébastien Derock. “He will happily abandon morality, ethics, loyalty or guilt in order to satisfy his own basic needs: drink-screw-eat.”

The play adapts thirty or so adventures and incidents from the six-panel comic strips that all begin with “Francis is on a walk in the country,” and subverts the codes of object theatre, in the spirit of Hara Kiri and Charlie Hebdo, to give the audience 40 minutes of ruthlessly caustic dark humour. The staging is spartan and precise, full of satirical, liberating, crazy ideas and finds in a set resembling a child’s bedroom converted into a trashy puppet theatre.

Everyone is hauled over the coals, in the absurd little world of Francis sauve le monde, full of cruel but salutary laughs.

BIOGRAPHY

Since 1993, Victor B and Jean-Michel Frère have been exploring frictions between theatre and contemporary artistic languages (video, art installations, sound installations, breakdance, etc.), with a good dose of satire and a razor-sharp humour. After the company’s first productions S.C. 35c (2000), Men Need Sleep (2003), Plus vite que tes yeux (2005), Je suis libre! hurle le ver luisant (2009), the shows went on to explore new relationships between the actors and audience, preferring intimate and local theatre. Trois secondes et demie (2000), Une petite Allergie (2013), Poney pour toujours and Une veillée électro (2013) honed this theme while continuing to target as many people as possible, bringing together seemingly very different audiences in public space. After Kermesse (2008), Trop de Guy Béart tue Guy Béart (2012) and Walking Thérapie (2017), Les Tombées de la Nuit continues this long-term partnership by hosting the madcap and caustic play, Francis Sauve Le Monde.

DISTRIBUTION

Adaptation : Pauline Desmarets, Simon Wauters, Sébastien Derock et Jean-Michel Frère. Interprétation : Pauline Desmarets, Simon Wauters et Sébastien Derock.
Mise en scène : Jean-Michel Frère.
Scénographie, objets et costumes : Coline Vergez.
Création Lumières : Julien soumillon avec l’aide de Johan Flamey et de Luca Derom.
D’après la BD « Francis » de Claire Bouilhac et Jake Raynal (Editions Cornélius).
Une production Compagnie Victor B et Théâtre de Namur

Friday 05 July 2019
18:30 > 19:10
Place Saint-Germain, Rennes
Friday 05 July 2019
21:00 > 21:40
Place Saint-Germain, Rennes
Saturday 06 July 2019
18:30 > 19:10
Place Saint-Germain, Rennes
Saturday 06 July 2019
21:00 > 21:40
Place Saint-Germain, Rennes

40mn
Free
Station de Métro : République • Lignes de Bus : Toutes les lignes desservant le centre-ville, arrêt République • Station Vélo : République

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