Behind the scenes of Impossible Duos: in the firmament of laughter

On the stage of the legendary Grand Rex hall in Paris, the stepmother walks like a man. Normal, it's one. Decked out in a dress that seems to weigh a ton and a wig as high as the headgear of the British royal guard, Jérémy Ferrari settles on this late May afternoon the final details of the most popular sketch ambitious of its annual show, “Les duos impossibles”, in this case a parody of “Cinderella”. The latter is played by Florence Foresti, who wonders where she should enter the stage: “It's better if I come from the side, right? – Yes, answers Jérémy Ferrari. And you stop halfway because when you appear, there will be applause, that's for sure. »

The best casting of the year

And for good reason: the expected audience does not yet know that the most famous of today's French comedians will be on stage this evening, in the same way that they are unaware of the rest of the cast made up this year of Ahmed Sylla, Artus, Alban Ivanov, Paul Mirabel, Alexandre Kominek, Armelle and Camille Lavabre. At most he suspects that the gala will be co-presented, like the two previous editions, by Jérémy Ferrari and his accomplices Arnaud Tsamere and Baptiste Lecaplain. In fact, the spectators don't care about the stars present: in the ten years that this meeting has existed, they have never been disappointed. This is why, on the day reservations went online, 180,000 people connected and the 2,500 seats at the Grand Rex were gone in three minutes flat. Proof that these “Impossible Duos” are an event. Nothing less.

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A unique show of its kind, designed for a single performance, with sketches written especially for the occasion and performed in duets (or trios, quartets, and more if you like!) by the cream of the comedians. “The idea was born in Brussels, where I created the Smile and Song festival, three days of celebration based on comedy shows and musical evenings,” says Jérémy Ferrari. For the opening, I wanted something more original than a one-man show. Since, with a lot of comedian friends, we mess around a lot without doing anything about it, I thought about putting together some duets just for that evening. »

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And in order to keep track of the moment, and to make it profitable, Ferrari had it recorded for television broadcast. “The problem is that I was only 27 and it hadn't been working for me for very long. So I called the bluff: I told the artists that I had all the TV channels and the TV channels that I had all the artists. » D17 (later CStar) was the first to react. With a contractual condition: if the program does not please him, the channel withdraws all its marbles. Not only did it delight broadcasters, but over time it became an institution of comedy entertainment. Suffice it to say that the 10th anniversary had to be celebrated as it should be: with great fanfare.

Seven to eight months of preparation

We will not know anything about the exact budget of the operation, but Jérémy Ferrari, as producer, assures that it is very expensive. “This is the second year I’ll be able to afford it,” he said. Anyway, I never did this for the money because I earn a very good living otherwise. But now, given the success of the program, we sell it for more and we are able to make a profit. » “Impossible duets” 2024 means seven to eight months of preparation for writing and rehearsals, dozens of costumes and no less than 115 people between the backstage and the technical management on the day of recording, which will last more than four hours. After five months of editing, the program will be reduced to two hours and forty-three hours. Hence Ferrari's careful preparation. The gentleman does not joke with humor which, as everyone knows, is a serious matter. He admits to being a “control freak”: “If it were up to me, we would rehearse for six months non-stop! » “When Jérémy pretends to yell at us on stage,” confides Baptiste Lecaplain, “we are not far from reality. Although we are very good friends, he does not hesitate to tell us what he thinks and make us rework the writing until the result suits him. »

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The spinning (the last rehearsal) finished, everyone sits down at the table in a large room. The buffet is generous, an avalanche of compotes, sweets and biscuits alongside cold meats, cheese, salads and hot dishes. “We see that there is sorrel now,” exclaims Ahmed Sylla. This does not mean that it takes on its usual character. Everyone weights their prices so that the show exists. The atmosphere behind the scenes is that of a meeting of friends, some of them coming with family like Baptiste Lecaplain who has his two children with him.

Artus, whose “A little thing more” has been out for a few days, cannot take a step without being congratulated for the record start of his film – no one suspects that it will reach 11 million of entries! In addition, he has just learned that “La Pampa” (which will be released on February 5, 2025), the feature film for which he imposed a drastic diet, is entering official competition at Cannes. “Everything that's happening is incredible,” he says, almost embarrassed, before going to his dressing room to get ready – and probably to study because, overwhelmed as he is at the moment, he has just arrived and has not not participated in the spinning.`

Like a Beyoncé concert

No need for a theater driver to “excite” the audience: when Baptiste Lecaplain, Arnaud Tsamere and Jérémy Ferrari take the stage at 8 p.m., under the eye of ten cameras, it feels like a Beyoncé concert. And we don't have to wait ten minutes for a tribute, in the form of a joke of course, to be paid to the great absentee of the evening: Guillaume Bats, who died in June 2023. Heavily disabled by a bone disease, he was the accomplice of Ferrari, revealed in “We only ask to laugh”, the show by Laurent Ruquier where quite a few of these “Impossible Duos” – including Artus – were discovered. Added to Ferrari's corrosive humor was Bats' self-deprecation, which played on his unsightly appearance. While some people repeat over and over again that we can no longer laugh at everything, the tandem has continued to push the limits of political correctness. Irreverence taken to the extreme has always been Jérémy Ferrari’s DNA: “Everything that is sacred stops at the theater door. To set an example, I have been systematically insulting my mother for fifteen years! People know that from the moment an only son calls his mother a whore, they can't believe a word I say during the show! » Tsamere and Lecaplain nevertheless surf on a foundation of truth when, between two sketches, they recount Ferrari's suicide attempt. The latter, a handsome player, restrains a fit of laughter.

The audience does not hide its joy when Artus arrives on stage in the shoes of Sylvain, a simpleton who is now extremely famous. “Last year, the Sylvain serial killer sketch broke records for views on the Web,” confirms Jérémy Ferrari. This year, when Artus took off his hood and the spectators cheered, it was moving to see his eyes light up with pride. In addition to his character, he knew that it was his film that was being applauded. » That’s also “Impossible Duets”: a popularity audit for comedians at their best. You have to see how Ahmed Sylla, as a nurse speaking in an incomprehensible sabir, improvises and, encouraged by the laughter, adds more and more.

“It’s true that I embroidered a lot,” he admits after the show. The teleprompter guy almost had a stroke! » The best and most disturbing part will nevertheless take place at the end of the show. Because we're not the type to spoil, we won't say anything about it here, except Jérémy Ferrari's reflection about his friend Guillaume Bats: “He will have really fucked up all the falls. » The sequence is both funny and moving. Impossible, the duos held together. Once again.