An unexpected show for the “Friends of Victor H” anniversary evening in Juillan

They didn’t really know what to expect from the many spectators who came to attend the traditional mid-October anniversary session offered by the “Victor H Amics” under the preposterous title of “Victor and Sport” for the sixth and penultimate evening of the 2024 season.

And they were not disappointed by the spectacle offered: facts, dates, astonishing anecdotes, unexpected readings, very literary references, appropriate sketches on horse racing, rugby, significant memories of the Juillanais president. -even occupied the entire first part.

In the second part of the show, so to speak – because there is never an intermission in the Hugolian performances at Juillan – there was a hilarious reconstruction of a real boxing match fought in 1705 between an Irish boxer (J .-L. Michel) and a Scottish boxer (J.-L. Xiberras), both assisted by their respective trainers (Guy Gélédan and J.-C- Sentenac) and told in detail by Hugo himself in his voluminous novel “The Man Who Laughs” published in 1869.

In a real ring magnificently recreated by three “Amics de Victor” and Juillanais rugby (Alain Alves, Dominique Chrétien and Jean-Paul Reyes), the two boxers went blow for blow under the curious gaze of Duchess Josiane (delightful Line Bénédet) came there to “relieve boredom”…in vain.

“Unexpected!” Hilarious! Unforgettable! » the qualifiers burst out at the time of sharing the birthday cake from Layrisse and the seasonal wine, as it should be, since the master of ceremonies and bilingual sports commentator for the occasion, Jean Claude Rieudebat is also winemaker.

At a time when sport was not necessarily a shared value in society, Victor Hugo did a pioneering job by evoking in his writings a good dozen sporting activities as diverse as walking, Basque pelota, bowling, billiards, fencing, swimming and of course these two quintessential English sports which are rugby (with Professor Charcot, Hugo’s related son) and cricket, of which the Juillanais president is also a specialist and which Victor discovered at Guernsey.

In short, an evening full of surprises, which precedes the very last which will be offered on Saturday December 7 in the same venue Moulat room.