La Fontaine’s Lyrical Fables at the Festival OFF d’Avignon – News
The In-Sense Company also presents Les Fables de La Fontaine en Miniatures lyriques as part of the Festival Off d’Avignon, at the Théâtre du Petit Louvre at 5:45 p.m.:
The show directed by Léna Rondé is divided into fourteen small tableaux, one for each fable, each with its own moral. The set consists of a small wardrobe in the shape of a staircase with several drawers that seem to come to life at times, with accessories that have, for the most part, a specific but in the fables, such as the shell of the turtle, a White balloon that takes the place of the crow’s cheese, a miniature plane that flies over the heads of the public…
On a small bedside table, a tape recorder also serves as a common thread, the composer (Isabelle Aboulker) talking about her creation, her personal relationship with the fables of La Fontaine and her link with her father, who told her these fables. The instrumentalists accompany the singers from the corner of the stage (pianist Ernestine Bluteau, cellist Marina Nguyen The and Maïté Atasay with her clarinet). All three take part in the show, speaking several times and explaining to the public, in place of the fabulist, the moral and the sensations given by each fable.
The two singers, accustomed to the stage, declaim their text in a clear and lively way. As for their other show also on display every day at this Festival (A tale of the perched cat also to music by Isabelle Aboulker, at the Théâtre des Barriques at 11:40 a.m.) they imitate animals with their agile voices, their movements and even their way of expressing themselves. It is therefore very easy to recognize each of the characters and each of the fables (the crow and the fox, the lion who has grown old, the hare and the tortoise). Their body and facial expressions also play an essential role in the way they approach the public and capture their attention, especially that of the youngest.
The mezzo-soprano Marie Blanc shows a nice timbre, with a round and warm voice. The particular and very elegant style of his singing deploys a very refined legato phrasing (his projection is largely sufficient to fill the room with his voice).
The baritone Philippe Scagni also charms the public with a generous and extremely versatile voice: medium and clear in the spoken voice, deep and very moving when he embodies the lion who has become old, become pinched when he plays the role of the duck who makes fun of The turtle. Funny when necessary and heartbreaking when he wants to, he shows with his acting on stage his great capacity as a singer-actor (it is however a pity that the resonance of the room, especially towards the last rows, does not allow to appreciate as well distinctly as possible the vocal richness of the two singers).
The very receptive young audience and the adults filled with nostalgia, are easily moved by these famous cherished stories, before greeting the show all in heart with long applause.
Editor’s note: Philippe Scagni, performer in this show, also writes production reviews on Ôlyrix with fact there are no links