Ça ira (1), Fin de Louis

by Joël Pommerat

Ça ira (1) Fin de Louis est une fiction politique contemporaine inspirée de la Révolution française. Saisissant cette histoire fondatrice de notre société, Joël Pommerat décrit presque au jour le jour l'avènement et l'événement de la démocratie.

Genres: Theatre, Plays, Fiction

134 pages, Paperback

First published May 25, 2016

About the author

Joël Pommerat was born in 1963. As a Playwright-director, he has devoted himself exclusively to writing for the theatre since 1986, after acting for several years. Seeking to bring his writing to the stage, he founded the Compagnie Louis Brouillard in 1990 and created his first shows at Théâtre de la Main d’Or in Paris (Le Chemin de Dakar, Le Théâtre, Vingt cinq années, Des suées, Les Evénements). In 1995, he wrote Pôles which was originally produced at the Théâtre des Fédérés in Montluçon and then reprised at Théâtre de la Main d’Or. In 1996, a workshop with about 30 actors resulted in the creation of Présences which was performed in Hublot. The next year, after a residency at Montluçon, he went back to work on the same play which became Treize étroites têtes, perfomed at Théâtre des Fédérés, at Théâtre Paris-Villette, at Théâtre Brétigny, and at the Saarbrücken festival. Since 1997, Théâtre Brétigny and the Théâtre Paris-Villette have financed and hosted one or several productions by his company every year. Since 1998, his company’s residency at Brétigny-sur-Orge has been the occasion to develop various projects (writing residencies, writing workshops, collaborative video projects involving the people of the region, workshops, banquet-readings, tasting-readings directed at young audiences, various encounters…)

A network of loyal support has developed around the company (co-productions, residencies, pre-paid productions, invitations): La Ferme de Bel Ebat (Guyancourt), le Centre d’art et de création de Mont-Saint-Aignan, les Ateliers du Rhin (Colmar), le Centre Dramatique national de Normandie – Comédie de Caen, le Centre Dramatique national d’Orléans, le Centre Dramatique de Tours, le Théâtre National de Strasbourg, le Centre Dramatique de Thionville-Lorraine, la Scène nationale de Chambéry…

Joël Pommerat is also interested in the moving image and film. He has made several short films, including a film entitled Visages with Marguerite Bordat, bringing 800 faces in front of the camera.

Joël Pommerat and la Compagnie Louis Brouillard were invited to the Festival D’avignon in July 2006, with Le Petit Chaperon Rouge, Au monde and Les marchands and in July 2008 with Je tremble (1et2).

In 2005, he became an Associate Artist for three years at the Espace Malraux-Scène nationale de Chambéry et de la Savoie. Joël Pommerat and the Compagnie Louis Brouillard have been in residency at the Théâtre des Bouffes du Nord since 2007 (2007-2010). He is an Associate Artist at the Odéon-Théâtre of Europe at the Ateliers Berthier for three seasons (2010-2013) and at the Théâtre National de Bruxelles

Reviews

[Bryan]

1789: Un pays au bord du gouffre à cause de la dette, une assemblée qui se déchire, et un pouvoir exécutif bringuebalant - on est finalement sur une pièce très contemporaine !

[Justine]

Hyper intéressant. Ça parle de la Révolution française mais ça raisonne beaucoup avec la situation politique d’aujourd’hui :)

[Antoine]

Ça doit être incroyable à voir et à vivre. À lire, c'est peu digeste.

[Nancy]

Quick Scan
Winner 2016 Molières 2016 (French Theater Oscars...)
Category: public theater
Plot: first days of French Revolution, establishing Assemblée Nationale
Strong point: theater’s power to explore the past
Strong point: good historical understanding about the struggle for a functioning of a democracy.
Unique: only 2 historical figures, King LXVI and his queen
Direction: all bloody riots, storming Bastille etc....happen in the coulissen
Cast: voices of ordinary people classes: Nobels, Church and Third Estate


Conclusion:
Easy to read in French, hoping it will be translated into English Despite the fact we know how this chapter in history turns out, Pommerat has written snappy, concise dialogue that keep you reading! Tone: Pommerat grabs the reader with an edgy tone - you forget this is a historical event...and it feels like a local 'frenetic and heated' discussion that happens everywhere in business, press conferences....even campaign trails. Sometimes you have to duck the 'mud-slinging'! Bravo...the play deserves the Molière 2016!

[Laurianne]

Intemporel.

[Lilou🍓]

louis xvi a la télé, vous êtes convaincus?