Pierre-Emmanuel Barré is back at the Bataclan, May 14–16, 2026. In Come-Back, the show he wrote and performs, he probes the idea of an artistic return, portraying himself as a comedian who has slipped into obscurity and is on a quest for a new reason to step on stage in 2031.
The caustic columnist of Radio Nova interrogates the mechanisms of fame, our relationship with time and success, the fear of decline, and the torment of being seen as old-fashioned, as well as the challenge of staying fresh in a moment when the codes—humor and beyond—have evolved. This starting point provides the frame for a meta show, a mise en abyme filled with self-deprecation that allows him to address his own contradictions, while widening the discussion to society and the world of entertainment.
The staging of this one-man-show relies on a visual and acoustic accompaniment to the text, giving Come-Back a hybrid form between stand-up and theatre. But it is the use of soliloquy and aloud self-questioning that reaches its limits here, the latter allowing very little interaction with the audience in the room.
Indeed, the use of modern media—a live Twitch stream projected on a big screen with a feisty chat overlay, Instagram Stories filmed live from the stage, and a TV report—an almost montage-sequence about his (final) career that kicks off the show—demonstrates a certain modernity in the production design.
But the very premise—deliberately bungled bids at a comeback—throws some heavy-handed misfires at the audience who came to see the superb Pierre-Emmanuel Barré of 2026. On the producer’s advice (portrayed on a phone screen by the inimitable Benjamin Tranié), he tries his hand at mentalism, works the puppets with Girafon, and tests his new ideas on the Bataclan Comedy Club stage.
Fans of his delicious chronicles on Nova who expect a corrosive, incisive, and politically charged show may be disappointed, as this performance feels underdeveloped. Come-Back suffers from uneven pacing and a lack of grounding in the news, something one might have easily anticipated for 2031 given the current political drift.
On the other hand, those who are usually offended by the comedian's border jokes will get their fill. Still hoping, all the same, that Pierre-Emmanuel Barré will have kept some of his edge in five years!
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Dates and Opening Time
From May 14, 2026 to May 16, 2026
Location
Bataclan
50 boulevard Voltaire
75011 Paris 11
Official website
www.bataclan.fr
Booking
www.bataclan.fr
One-man and one-woman shows to see in Paris now and in the coming months
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