An armchair for the orchestra-the site of the Parisian theatrical criticism »My little fool, by Xavier-Laurent Petit, directed by Olivier Letellier, Tréteaux de France, Théâtre de la Ville-Sarah Bernhardt, Paris

© Christophe Raynaud de Lage

ƒƒ article Nicolas Brizault-Eyssette

Akil is a small man of 9 years old or rather 3,285 days and a few, as he would tell you. He was born with a cardiac malformation, silent birth, without a cry, immediately informing the terrible danger counting his days, to extend the time. His dad, obviously, found better to do elsewhere. His mother Maswala is alone, except her mother, the people of the village and the sorcerer. Akil regularly seems to pass through another world, his heart gets tired, the blood refuses to walk properly. Death is almost victorious and already laughs. A few drops of a miracle product saves it each time, until when? An operation is possible and costs a fortune. Impossible, death rubs its hands.

Then Maswala learns that a marathon is soon organized, not very far, and that the winner will gain a fortune, which largely allowed to adjust this damn operation. She trains, trains, surprises with her immense talent, is part of this race. All her village supports her. My foolish little heart is a show adapted from a novel by Xavier-Laurent Petit. Fatma-Zahra Ahmed and Romain Njoh are alone on stage and take us during this micro hour. By settling down, seeing our neighbors and our neighbors, very young and very happy to be in the theater we think for a moment as a few neighbors, that we are certainly a little elderly to see this show and that happy he is short . We leave all our belongings in the locker room, as we are asked and we settle on returned buckets, almost surrounding this future show. We know that this hip-hop dancer will turn our heads, supporting the soul of this actor. Yes… My foolish little heart Start and we are taken! Not completely of course, we remain big, but the work of these two, just in front of us, nearby, gesturing face and safe a surprising decor, is victorious. No other words. We see the strength of the fight of this mother, ready to do anything to save her kid, we feel this kid precisely, knowing that he is probably lost, but capable of recovering a force … Fragile could we say and who also supports him . We are told the story, the characters, them, speak little, they dance, surprise us, surprise, scare happily. Not a word in the room, the children are wise, as absorbed by this sinister story. This child whose days are counted, his mother who transforms his life to try to save him. And hip-hop. Words, music. This duo makes us accomplices in their fight, we are ready to get up and join them, not for hip-hop, of course, but to give more strength to hope. Fatma-Zahra Ahmed and Romain Njoh are also trying to open the doors between the scene and the small buckets. It doesn't quite work. Kids and large are shy. But the mother and the son will do it for sure.

Nothing tear in My foolish little heart Just the need for combat, do not give up and unite. And a grain of humor. A mother ready for anything for her son, hip-hop offers perfect images to emphasize all of this. There are not really light games, the sound, these voices seeming to come and surprise us all the same. We are in full tale and Fatma-Zahra Ahmed and Romain Njoh, those of the Régie, visible and very close, make us believe while leaving us in reality. Their talent bounces, the short story turns into a magical destiny. The love of a mother, ready to risk her life in a marathon to save her son. The fatality that goes home, sulky. A show for kids, of course, but that makes you want to think, to move forward.

© Christophe Raynaud de Lage

My foolish little heartfrom Xavier-Laurent Petit

Adaptation : Catherine Verlaguet

Direction: Olivier Letellier

Choreography: Valentine Nagata-Ramos

Assistant to the staging: Guillaume Fafiotte

Scenography: Cherry Guyon

Creation of sound and music: Antoine Prost

Creation Costumes: Augustin Rolland

Creation Tréteaux de France

With Fatma-Zahra Ahmed and Romain Njoh

From January 24 to February 1, 2025

Tast philosophy : Saturday, February 1, 2025, at 4 p.m.

Duration: 55 minutes

All audiences from 9 years old

Theater of the city – Sarah Bernhardt – Coupole

2, Place du Châtelet

75004 Paris

Reservation: 01 42 74 22 77

www.theatredelaville-paris.com