Theater – It takes nerve to write and produce an educational summary of the Cid. You also need talent so that it doesn’t end up in a patronage theater.
Jean Bellorini, director of the Théâtre national populaire de Villeurbanne, combined the two. The show – seen outdoors, in the main courtyard of the Château de Grignan, in the Drôme Provençale, during the summer festival of Fêtes nuits – begins with a commentary on the action. In an imperceptible shift made possible by the nuances of the actors’ performance, the spectator falls into the room, or what remains of it. And he is plunged into the heart of the original plot, which is almost reinforced by a magnifying glass effect, since a certain number of peripheral scenes and characters have been left along the way. The staging, constantly oscillating between dramatic tension and burlesque (even if it sometimes means stretching certain gags too long), manages to restore all the intelligence of the text. The big ones punchlines Cornelians are there, who participate in the pleasure of the spectators invited to recite the tirades. Surprisingly, a figure emerges here: the character of the Infanta, in love with a Cid who obviously only has eyes for Chimène. She becomes a central and poignant character in this adaptation. A special mention to actor François Deblock (le Cid), who, stuck in a huge inflatable castle, sings “SOS d’un terrestrial en distress” by Daniel Balavoine accompanied on the piano. It was very risky, and it comes across wonderfully: in humor, accuracy and emotion. Just like the show.
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To have
“Histoire d’un Cid”, adaptation and direction by Jean Bellorini,
TNP in Villeurbanne (from November 27 to December 20), La Coursive in La Rochelle (February 19 and 20, 2025), Bateau Feu in Dunkirk (February 27 and 28, 2025), La Comédie de Reims (from March 5 to 7, 2025), La Faïencerie in Creil (March 13 and 14, 2025), the Théâtre de Nîmes (April 3 and 4, 2025), Théâtre Louis-Aragon in Tremblay-en-France (April 11, 2025), Théâtre de Privas (May 6, 2025), Theater Nanterre-Amandiers (from May 15 to June 15, 2025). The Château de Grignan (26) can be visited all year round: www.chateaux-ladrome.fr
