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THE PURITANTS
Text and direction by David Noir, Music by Jérôme Coulomb. Company "La vie est courte
What makes the world go round? Under the guidance of Harvey, the guru-psychoanalyst, seven men: First, Second, Slav, Adrien, Jean, Léa, Berta, and a woman, Betty, reveal themselves. In the course of a primer, these puritans describe their frustrations, their childhoods marked by a suffocating maternal love or their crimes. This evocation is followed by a slow metamorphosis that reaches a paroxysmal state in the final scene. David Noir undertakes a successful variation on the theme of sexuality: incest, zoophilia, homosexuality and cross-dressing are addressed. In this way he denounces the self-righteous, those repressed beings. The text constantly oscillates between lightness and gravity.
The actors perform on a stage that also serves as a dressing room and resembles a 'rock' stage, partly because of the microphones and the rhythm of the sketches. The staging, between reading and acting, allows for an amusing rediscovery of kitsch variety songs. In addition to nine choreographies, four songs were written for this show by the pianist Jérôme Coulomb who performs live during the show. Sonia Codhant's performance as Betty is also worth noting. The spectator will be challenged by this subject and its confrontation with nudity, which is very often banned from the standard stage. Much more than an exhibition of their bodies, it is their souls that the characters lay bare. Please leave all inhibitions behind.
Lavoir Moderne Parisien, 35 rue Léon, 75018 Paris
(04/00) written by Marie-Véronique Guilmont