Une visite inopportune

by Copi

La dernière pièce de Copi, écrite sur son lit d'hôpital. Une comédie farce de la mort qui bascule en fête de l'amitié.

" Il y a chez Copi une très grande discrétion devant ce sujet-bateau, sujet-gâteau, qu'est la mort. Au moyen d'écarts de dialogue, Copi fait basculer cette comédie-farce de la mort vers une fête de l'amitié, et en premier lieu de l'amitié qui attache les homosexuels. Car la pièce est là : dans le lien amical, fraternel de l'acteur Cyrille, condamné, et de son copain, Hubert, et dans l'alliance de charme et de cruauté par quoi ce vieux couple entreprend d'intercepter de la chair fraîche, un grand dadais de jeune homme qui se retrouve là, dans sa chambre. Mais Copi, insensiblement, divinement, fait danser les fils de son illusion, opéra, grand-guignol, cirque, tragédie. Tout cela d'une touche si légère... Dans sa gaieté et sa modestie, Une visite inopportune est une pièce immense. Elle provoque le rire. Elle ratisse la détresse. C'est très rare, un sommet de théâtre comme celui-là. "

Genres: Theatre

96 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1988

About the author

Raúl Damonte Botana, better known by the nom de plume Copi (for "copito de nieve", Spanish for "little snowflake"), was an Argentine writer, cartoonist, and playwright who spent most of his career in Paris.

Reviews

[Philippe Malzieu · Rating 5 out of 5]

"I am dying. Say to him to come later."

Copi belonged to the Hispanic community of Paris fleeing the dictatorships. He was Argentinian like the directors Alfredo Arias and Georges Lavelli. But there were Spanish (Arrabal), Chilean (Jodorowski)… They made blow a wind latino on the French culture.
Copi was gay. This part is his last work. It is a very funny comedy.

Cyrille, a famous artist, is ill in an hospital. He knows he will die. Around him, doctor, admiror, nurse agitate. It is a swirl, ridiculous joined metaphysics, joyfully wild. He makes fun of everyone.

Sometimes the tone is serious, anguish is there. But energy returns quickly. Copi could not stage this play. It is Lavelli which did it. He died (AIDS) during the repetitions. There remains to us this joyful manifest of life. Humour stronger than death?

[Kris Yang · Rating 5 out of 5]

Dang this might be my favorite among all the plays I have read (which is not much but still…). I didn’t expect it to be a comedy: the beginning — Cirilo on his deathbed in the hospital — makes me expect a sad and grave writing tone, but everything comes out so ironic and hilarious, sometimes even ridiculous and random. I’m always like “where does that come from” & “haven’t expected that at all”. There are so many “jajaja” I have scribbled down across the pages. Like Dang! This is so comedic and humorous that I didn’t taste the heaviness conventionally associated to death at all. I also find it quite interesting that I couldn’t tell whether it’s a play inside play (it’s so dramatic) and whether Cirilo and Regina really die. Also have to note down the use of exclamation mark, which makes the tone super imaginable but at the same time fictitious. I love this play — strongly recommend the original in spanish!!!

[Christelle · Rating 2 out of 5]

Le théâtre c’est toujours très facile à lire. Mais je n’ai pas vu l’intérêt de cette pièce. Peut-être très novateur pour l époque, voire subversif car le personnage principal est homosexuel mais franchement ça m’a laissée de marbre.

[Jonas · Rating 4 out of 5]

Not only read it, but performed it in a theater class at University. Très bon.