Of Sofia Betz
With Julie Calbete vocals (soprano) and arrangements, Marie-Laure Coenjaerts vocals (mezzo soprano), Catherine De Biasio vocals and arrangements, Romain Dayez vocals (baritone) and arrangements, Laurie Degand actress (the maid), Héloïse Jadoul actress (the conductor) , Julien Rombaux actor (the security guard)
Of December 17 to 22, 2024
Au Martyrs Theater
There is no question of castle and elite in this well-crafted baroque fable. Here, intrigues are knotted and unraveled behind the scenes where the air is tainted by the whims of the golden upper middle class. While the party degenerates inside in an atmosphere of the end of the world, the parking lot will become the scene of a cynical and disenchanted human comedy where personal interest will gradually eclipse the common good.
The champagne is flowing freely and it’s running in all directions. In Versailles, a place of refinement par excellence, the elite decided, for one evening, to reconnect with the beauty of past centuries. To restore the splendor of the splendor of yesteryear, costumed musicians were recruited. But for security reasons, they are confined to the parking lot. Baroque music is broadcast from the parking lot via a microphone and a screen in order to properly preserve intimacy. Between an intrusive security guard, an overexcited events manager and a waitress who never stops passing dishes, the troupe quickly feels cramped. And the oppressive heat, the thirst, the musical demands of the jet set, the contempt of the employees only increase the tension. In a world losing its bearings, Versailles, built on marshy soil, is suffocating and wavering.
This baroque semi-opera, written by Sofia Betz in collaboration with the entire artistic team, uses an offbeat story to better understand reality. In Versaillesthe world of glitter is abandoned in favor of that of shadows in order to give voice to the margins of our society. Behind the scenes, we perceive the servitude of artists who spend money, at the mercy of those who employ them, and of waiters who work tirelessly to satisfy the slightest need of their wealthy clients. In addition to the class struggle, this crazy comedy also addresses that of global warming which affects all levels of society and reminds us of the vanity of wealth in the face of the inevitable decline of our planet.
In this purely absurd celebration, the resonances between the past and the present are striking. The period of hesitation and uncertainty in which we live harks back to the Baroque era when there was muffled anger and a certain unease. Just like today, humanity was losing its bearings, having lost its faith, aware of leaving an old world behind.
The Théâtre des Martyrs offered us a memorable evening, where baroque music and comedy were brilliantly intertwined. The captivating voices of the singers (Marie-Laure Coenjaerts, Romain Dayez and Julie Calbete), carried by the electronic harpsichord of Catherine De Biasio, provided a surprising musical experience. At the same time, the actors (Julien Rombaux as security guard, Héloïse Jadoul as event manager and Laurie Degand as waitress) provided the service perfectly, adding a touch of dark humor and lightness to this whole party with its old-fashioned flavor. .
