The amateur theater company Nif Naf, from Lillers, will perform with a temporary orchestra, on Saturday October 12, 2024, its adaptation of “Cabaret” at the Sébastopol theater in Lille. The proceeds from the 1,300 places will be donated to the Les Soldats du Sourire association, in Lille, to help families on the street.
After around ten performances, of which the Béthune theater had been the highlight, the amateur theater troupe from Lillers wondered what the craziest thing they could do after that.
“With Amaury, my harmony counterpart, we said to ourselves: Sébastopol? He reacted by saying: I know someone there“, recalls Antonio Scottu, actor of the troupe. One thing led to another, a few broadcasts of teasers afterwards, and a presentation of the project made to the production agency “Le Bureau des Spectacles”, the 1,300-seat theater was reserve.
Cabaret tells the story of the budding love in 1930s Berlin, between Sally Bowles, a dancer and revue singer from the Kit Kat Klub, and Cliff, an American novelist, with whom Sally has moved in. The particularity of this piece is its superb sets and costumes and that it is accompanied live by around fifty harmony musicians.
“It’s difficult not to draw a parallel with the burning news that is shaking up Europe in 2024. Raising – or reawakening – citizen consciences has become a determining issue which, since its creation, has motivated the Company’s action.“.
“Faithful to our solidarity commitment, we will play for a Lille association [Les Soldats du Sourire, ndlr] who does tremendous work with those most in need. Relentlessly, summer and winter, it brings basic necessities to people, men, women, families with young children sometimes living on the streets in the metropolis.“, Antonio also wrote on a Facebook post from the company’s account.
The association The Soldiers of Smiles was born in Lille in 2020 during the first confinement, when access to people on the street and the action of associations were hampered. It provides basic assistance (feeding, washing, clothing, entertainment, sleeping) to people in precarious housing or homeless people, mainly through marauding. “The choice to support them by donating part of the proceeds on this occasion almost imposed itself on us as our values and commitments are so similar.“, communicates the Nif Naf association.
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The Kit Kat Klub where the German bourgeoisie comes to have fun in 1930s Berlin
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© Nif Naf Company
- 16 actors, singers and dancers.
- 52 musicians on stage.
- 4 technicians in control.
- 80 pages of scores transcribed and arranged by Samuel Ternoy.
- 2 years of preparatory work and several dozen hours of rehearsal.
- Nearly 3,000 spectators including 925 at the Béthune theater in March 2023.
- Budget of nearly €12,000 for the evening at Sébastopol.
- Target of 1300 spectators at Sébastopol.
- 20 euros per place on sale on its website.
