Projects
The Letter Writer 2007 - 2010
Monstres à Domicile 2005
Divines Paroles 2005 - 2006
Performance Venues
Le Théâtre Romain Rolland
Le Théâtre de Cachan, Le Théâtre de Corbeil Essonne, Le Théâtre 13, Le Théâtre de Lisieux, ATP de Biarritz – Le Casino, La Celle Saint Cloud
Circa Theatre, Wellington, New Zealand
La Comédie de Picardie
Touring
The Letter Writer
March 2010 – International Arts Festival, New Zealand
2010/2011 - Touring in France
In Preparation
Dispossessed, by Juliet O’Brien
by Juliet O’Brien
Synopsis
A Letter Writer is asked by a young man, exiled from his country, to write letters for him. Fascinated by the energy and idealism of the young exile, the Writer finds both a new lease of life and the son he never had.
Mr Rouvesquen, a professional Letter Writer,
lives in the wealthy and peaceful country of Zurniken. While offering
his services to those in need of words to express their problems and
feelings, he himself maintains a cynical distance with the world. One
day, a young man called Lansko, a refugee from the totalitarian state
of Morland, asks for his help. He is illiterate and barely speaks the
language of Zurniken and so needs Rouvesquen’s services to fill
out administrative documents and to apply for Political Asylum, and
more personally, to write letters to his wife back in Morland. In
spite of his difficult situation, perilous journey and titanic efforts
to cross the Zurniken border, Lansko is the incarnation of youth and
optimism, qualities which the cynical Rouvesquen has long since lost.
Little by little, Rouvesquen is charmed by the young man’s
character and becomes attached to him. Rouvesquen imperceptibly begins
to play an increasingly important role in Lansko’s life. Their
exchanges become more profound, their relationship unconsciously
changes into that of a father and son, to such an extent that
Rouvesquen gradually loses his professional distance. One morning, a
letter arrives at the Writer’s home from Lansko’s country,
Morland. Rouvesquen sees that the news is so horrible that it will not
only break Lansko’s heart but will also inevitably lead to the
end of their relationship. Rouvesquen, incapable of telling the truth
to Lansko, lies to him about the letter. A lie that creates a fiction
that has to be sustained by more lies to protect the young man, but
which ultimately render him more dependent upon Rouvesquen’s
services.
"The Letter Writer” is situated in an
imaginary world which is, however, culturally and historically similar
to ours. The purpose of this setting is twofold: the public can more
objectively observe this fable and the themes it evokes while at the
same time feel implicated. Initially the stage is divided into two
spaces, defining the two worlds of Lansko: that which he has left
behind and the new world in which he finds himself. The space gradually
disintegrates as a visual metaphor for Rouvesquen’s psychological
development following his first lie. Nothing remains fixed - constant.
The ever growing fragility of their bond is symbolised by a loss of
bearings in the space and by a progressive dismantling of the set.
Nothing will be as it was at the beginning of the story. The
play’s realistic writing is complemented by strong and poetic
imagery. As with cinematographic language, ellipses are used to pass
the time, to voyage into the past or to illustrate a dream. These
ellipses are signalled by the intervention of music, a change of space
or the intensification of a gesture creating a close-up before opening
out onto a new setting. The realistic writing at the beginning of the
play creates a recognisable and coherent world, a well established
order, characters situated in a predictable and comfortable
environment. As the story evolves, the Writer’s dilemma
transforms into a nightmare allowing for more transposed staging and
writing. The stage empties, the rhythm of the scenes accelerates,
reinforcing the obsessive nature of the lies slowly consuming the
Writer. The young exile’s language is invented; a hybrid
language, the sources of which are indiscernible but the intentions
comprehensible. The invention of this culture, its language,
music and customs mean that the problematic of the play is not reduced
to a moment in history or a particular political context.
The “Letter Writer” is a story
of Exile: the exile of a young man who leaves everything he loves in
the hope of living a better life and sharing it with those he loves ;
the exile of a Writer who retires from the world, abandoning all
utopian ideas, responsibility and faith in human beings; the exile of
those whose fears and anguish hinder them from confronting their
problems and who – exiled from their own words require the help
of an intermediary. « The Letter Writer » is also a love story: the
love a young man has for his wife and the country he has left behind;
the love he has for life itself, believing fully in the possibility of
renewal; the love born of his encounter with the Writer who relives in
the face of this brave young man. Exile is a complex state. Those
exiled oscillate between the possibilities the future holds and the
strong nostalgia for their roots. For those who juggle with these
forces, the path will never be simple, and even more so, if the choice
is forced. The memory of absolute happiness is often the place where
childhood was lived: to leave this place is never an easy choice.