Victor Hugoat: BART blends rap and literature in Les Lilas

BART continues the Île-de-France leg of the tour of Victor Hugoat, No. 1 in French Rap. This one-man show draws parallels between the life of Victor Hugo and the conventions of rap, in the form of a humorous lecture punctuated by songs and characters.

Barthélémy Héran, known as BART, starts with a question: how would we tell the story of the writer’s life today using the conventions of rap? The show gradually builds a biographical rap track. The Hernani battle, Hugo’s political commitments and events from his family life all feed into the story, with audience participation.

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The staging and co-writing are by Grégoire de Chavannes. References to Jul, Nekfeu, PNL, Gazo and Soprano are part of the show’s fictional world; they are not artists announced as performers. The format combines literary storytelling, rap interludes and BART’s acting, rather than a historical reenactment.

The stage project extends a musical exploration of writers’ lives. Victor Hugoat won the Jury Prize at the 2024 Planches de l’ICART. After performances at the Théâtre de l’Œuvre and L’Européen, the show continues its tour.

For more ideas combining music and games, check out our musical shows in Paris, as well as our upcoming stand-up shows.

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