André Dussollier, headliner of the Bonaguil Festival

For the return to « normal » of the Bonaguil-Fumel Festival, the shows will once again take place in the ditches of the famous Lot-et-Garonne castle. After two difficult « Covid-19 » years due to health restrictions, the organizers have therefore taken care of the programming of their 59th edition. During a press conference in the premises of the town hall of Fumel, Marie Costes, president of the theater festival, and Frédéric Bernhard, the artistic director, presented the shows that will be on the bill of the cultural event, which will take place from August 2 to 7. And, this year, it is the arrival of André Dussollier, one of the greatest actors in French cinema, who will be the main attraction.

holy monsters

In his scenic reading show, entitled « Sacred monsters, sacred monsters » and scheduled to open in Bonaguil on August 2, the 76-year-old actor with more than 140 films will read on the boards texts by Charles Baudelaire, Sacha Guitry, Victor Hugo, Molière, Jacques Prévert, Roland Dubillard, Raymond Devos, or even Alphonse Allais.

« ‘A great actor is first of all a voice’ said Patrice Chéreau, launches Frédéric Bernhard. Beyond his colossal career and his talent, André Dussollier is one of the rare voices inscribed in our collective memory. He is an unrivaled storyteller. In France, he is one of five or six actors who have a strong attachment to stage reading. His show offers a more stripped down and more demanding form of reading. The texts read are sometimes deep, sometimes light, sometimes serious or comical. They can also be from different eras and styles. In prose and verse, free or rhymed. »

One of the other key shows of this 2022 edition is « L’école des femmes », directed by Francis Perrin and presented to festival-goers on Saturday August 7. This adaptation of Molière’s play is one of Jean-Baptiste Poquelin’s most famous comedies. And the director has involved his whole family, with his wife Gersende, his daughter Clarisse and his son Louis, who has autism, who will play in the play.

On the menu, there is also « Vienna 1913 », which is the « favourite » of the organization. Written by Alain Didier-Weill and directed by Jean-Luc Paliès, this « theatrical concert », scheduled for Friday August 5, offers a dive into the 1910s in one of the main capitals of Europe, that of Austria. She also tackles a subject that is unusual in the theater: the genesis of an extremist political ideology, in this case that of Nazism. « The staging is deliberately sober and rhythmic, explains Frédéric Bernhard. As for the music, it is used as a background for the narration, like what is done in television series. »

Regarding the other shows, we can see « Aime comme Marquise » on Wednesday August 3, which will allow you to immerse yourself in 17th century Paris and meet the great names of the time: Molière, d’Artagnan, Racine, La Fontaine, Corneille, Molière, or even King Louis XIV. Thursday, August 4 will be reserved for the cabaret with « Plein feu, Le cabaret extraordinaire », artistically directed by Armelle Hédin; while Saturday August 6 will make way for French songs with « Album de famille ». Finally, a show for children, called « Opéra pitchoun », will be held on Sunday August 7, at 5 p.m., at the Jean-Goujon de Fumel hall.