At the Théâtre Le Spot in Sion, Swiss actress Noémie Schmidt and her French accomplice Joris Avodo are performing “La nuit n’en finira donc pas..?” until September 28. An XXL show between manifesto, musical comedy, party and documentary theater. A festive and activist project going beyond Valais alone.
“The night will never end..?” Funny title with this negative question. It is inspired by an insomniac song by Petula Clark, “The night will never end”, a good yé-yé hit from the 1960s. At this stage, we still don’t know if it’s about impatiently waiting for the sunrise or hoping for an unlimited nighttime trip under the stars.
After meeting the Franco-Valais duo Joris Avodo & Noémie Schmidt, enthusiastic master and mistress of ceremonies of this XXL theatre show, visible at the Spot in Sion, we can try this interpretation: long live the night because it is conducive to celebration! And long live women finally emerging from the darkness in which our dear patriarchal society has confined them.
Yet another feminist and woke show, you might say? If woke means awake, then yes, “La nuit n’en finira donc pas..?” is indeed an awake, conscious, even overexcited creation, and it feels damn good.
Four highlights
A few months ago, Joris Avodo and Noémie Schmidt launched an appeal to the people of Valais. “Send us your memories of four events: Corpus Christi, carnival, gay pride and the women’s strike”. Their common point: between a corseted tradition and total letting go, a joyful manifesto and a popular gathering, here are four highlights that have marked and still mark the history of Valais.
They also serve as a revelation of the status of women and minorities in this canton which saw the birth of Noémie Schmidt, who attended the Teatro Comico theatre school in Sion, before taking off in cinema and television in Paris.
An extraordinary spectacle
This ethnographic, personal, often mischievous material has become an exhibition, to be visited in the foyer of the Théâtre le Spot. These stories have also fed the stage creation. A creation between the surprise bomb and the multi-tiered wedding cake.
The duo had announced an extraordinary show. They kept their promise. “La nuit n’en finira donc pas..?” is at the same time a play, a variety show, a punk concert, a meeting, a documentary, a stand-up evening, a musical comedy, poetry, debates and the birthday party of your slightly crazy best friend. And since we are in Valais, we will add a raclette evening, a lot of confetti and a night bar. And all that in two hours that we barely see go by.
A festive and militant project
“The night will never end..?” cannot be told. This extraordinary creation (we can barely count the generous number of protagonists involved on stage) is both a portrait of the Valais women and men and a reflection of the very lively, willingly rebellious and positive character of Noémie Schmidt and her accomplice. If the play addresses heavy themes – such as pedophilia in the Church or the influence within the couple -, it also makes us laugh and above all move with the excellent group Radio Riots performing live on stage.
In the end, this show is even good for the theatre, because it attracts very different audiences to the old town of Sion, from young to old. And that too is a credit to this duo capable of uniting energies on a festive, militant project, both light and invigorating, whose theme goes well beyond Valais alone.
Thierry Sartoretti/ld
“The night will never end..?” by Noémie Schmidt and Joris Avodo, with Fanny Santer, Manon Combes, Nacima Bekhtaoui, Justine Bachelet, Léo Poulet Rimbaud, Salou Sadras, Doriane Gamba, Robin Schmidt, Gabriel Tur and with the friendly participation of Bernard Sartoretti, Théâtre Le Spot, Sion (VS), from September 24 to 28, 2024.
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