We didn't play pétanque in the Warsaw ghetto at Le Petit Saint Martin

At Le Petit Saint Martin, Éric Feldman delivers a one-man show about the Holocaust, a mixture of humor and memory, between autofiction and theatrical performance. To be seen in autumn 2025.

Comedian and authorÉric Feldman takes to the Petit Saint Martin stage with On ne jouait pas à la pétanque dans le ghetto de Varsovie, a singular show that blends stand-up, art-house theater and intimate testimony. At the crossroads of family memory and stage performance, this creation offers a bold, personal reflection on the legacy of the Holocaust, drawing on unexpected humor and a great freedom of tone.

Engaging plays and shows to discover in Paris and the Ile-de-France region
Discover committed shows in Paris and the Ile-de-France region: topical themes, powerful messages and captivating staging. [Read more]

In On ne jouait pas à la pétanque dans le ghetto de Varsovie, Éric Feldman takes to the stage alone to deliver what he describes as a jubilant autofiction. Drawing on the story of his parents - both of whom were "hidden children" during the Second World War - the artist offers a narrative somewhere between intimate confession and collective analysis, in a free form oscillating between lecture and stand-up.

The show touches on many themes: Holocaust remembrance, of course, but also psychoanalysis, yoga, living art and questions of transmission. Through this hybrid approach, Éric Feldman weaves a spiral of stories and thoughts, where humor counterbalances the seriousness of the subject without ever distorting it.

What to see this week in Paris? Plays and shows not to be missed
Plays and shows to see this week in Paris: comedies, dance, humor, magic, cabaret... Our selection of must-see events. [Read more]

On ne jouait pas à la pétanque dans le ghetto de Varsovie (We Didn't Play Petanque in the Warsaw Ghetto ) is aimed at an audience sensitive to committed and atypical theatrical forms, ready to receive a personal discourse on a major historical theme. Audiences interested in questions of memory, intergenerational transmission, or collective traumas dealt with in the first person may recognize themselves here.

The humor present in the show - though subtle and thoughtful - may surprise or unsettle some viewers who expect a strictly solemn tone. So this show is not for those looking for a purely historical account or documentary reconstruction: On ne jouait pas à la pétanque dans le ghetto de Varsovie is above all a subjective, embodied and singular look at a tragic memory.

Éric Feldman writes andperforms this one-man show. The deliberately offbeat title announces the desire to shake up codes, to take a humorous approach to the past, without losing sight of the depth of the message.

Our reviews of shows and plays to discover in Paris
Fancy going to see a play or show in Paris or the Ile-de-France region, but don't know which one to choose? Our reviews of current plays and shows are here to advise you! [Read more]

In On ne jouait pas à la pétanque dans le ghetto de Varsovie (We Didn't Play Petanque in the Warsaw Ghetto), Éric Feldman delivers a necessary, intimate and embodied account of the memory of the Holocaust, using the tools of theater, humor and autofiction. A show between laughter and gravity, to be discovered for its approach that promises to be both offbeat and deeply human.

This article is based on information available at the time of writing. The show has not been viewed by the editorial staff.

This page may contain AI-assisted elements, more information here.