The Revolution: a History Lesson at the Théâtre de Poche

With La Révolution, Maxime d'Aboville continues his Leçons d'Histoire de France (Lessons in French History) and explores five decisive years, from the storming of the Bastille to the fall of Robespierre. The artistic dossier specifies that the actor draws on texts by Hugo, Michelet, Dumas, and Lamartine to compose a literary fresco retracing the major episodes of this founding period. By bringing together these voices of^{the 19th} century, the show reactivates the epic breath and narrative energy that shaped the revolutionary myth.

Damien Bricoteaux's staging creates a form of oratory centered on a single lectern, designed as an assembly platform. This minimalist setting highlights the power of words, echoing the speeches and debates that marked this period. The lighting and sound design, by François Loiseau and Aurélien Cros, accompany the historical upheavals and give the story a dramatic rhythm.

The textual montage covers many iconic sequences: the night of August 4, the September massacres, Valmy, the trial of Louis XVI, the Reign of Terror, and the fall of Robespierre. Each passage combines the approaches of major authors, offering a literary panorama that sheds light on both the facts and the imaginations they inspired. The show is part of an effort to pass on knowledge, with a focus on the narrative dimension and emotion of the story.

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This Lesson also echoes the second part of this season's program: From 1515 to the Sun King, devoted to the period from Francis^I to Louis XIV, and also based on excerpts from major^19th-century works. The two shows can be seen separately or as complements to each other.

The show can be seen at the Théâtre de Poche-Montparnasseevery Monday at 7 p.m. starting October 6.

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