Un Air de Famille: Ordinary family theater, between laughter and silence

The play "Un Air de Famille", written by Jean-Pierre Bacri and Agnès Jaoui, is back on stage, directed by Valentin Couty, with a renewed cast combining emerging actors and long-time accomplices. The show is produced by the Plume de Paon company, already renowned for its projects combining classical and contemporary theater and collective creation.

Contemporary plays to see in Paris and the Ile-de-France region
Numerous contemporary plays are presented at theaters in Paris and the Île-de-France region. Contemporary theater encompasses works created from the mid-20th century to the present day. An opportunity to discover modern creations, in tune with our times! [Read more]

Un Air de Famille is set in a neighborhood bar, "Le Père Tranquille", run by Henri. Every Friday evening, the family gathers for dinner. But on this particular evening, a series of incidents, words said or kept quiet, would crack the facade of family unity.

Between latent grudges, relationships of domination, loneliness and frustration, the characters engage in exchanges that are by turns funny, cruel or touching. The incisive dialogues would gradually reveal the imbalances of each within the family unit, in a setting where the ordinary would become the stage for a great emotional outpouring. Performers include Angelina Colombani, Théophile Douin, Salomé Lac, Zoé Lacombe, Edouard Edilber and Abdulah Sissoko.

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]

This revival of Un Air de Famille could appeal to a contemporary French theater audience, fond of comedies of manners that are both funny and revealing. Those who appreciate the works of Bacri and Jaoui, as well as the similar dynamics of series such as Fais pas ci, fais pas ça or films by Cédric Klapisch, would undoubtedly resonate with it. On the other hand, younger audiences or those looking for action drama, epic tales or great historical frescoes may find this resolutely intimate, dialogue-driven play, centered on relational tensions, less to their liking.

The originality of this version would lie in its collective work, in the emphasis placed on staging the place as a character in its own right, and in the integration of a new actor (Abdulah Sissoko) who would enrich the group dynamic. The bar becomes an enclosed space where the ordinary becomes a revelation of humanity.

Valentin Couty's staging aims to make the play resonate with our times, by accentuating the universal dimensions of the dialogues: the difficulty of saying things, family expectations, the search for recognition and love within the family.

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]

Un Air de Famille returns to the stage in a new version by a close-knit troupe, offering a rereading that is both faithful to the original spirit and anchored in our times. With its piquanthumor and lucid look at human relationships, this play is sure to appeal to a wide audience in search of spoken theater, accurate portraits and situations that are both familiar and revealing.

This article is based on a presentation file provided by the company. The show has not been viewed by the editorial team.