The show Poil de Carotte, Poil de Carotte brings together Flavien Bellec, Étienne Blanc, and Solal Forte atthe Athénée Théâtre Louis-Jouvet. The trio draws on the shadow cast by Jules Renard's novel to question the making of a live show and what it brings with it in terms of humiliation, doubt, and creative vertigo. The artistic dossier specifies that the project is not a literal adaptation of the story, but rather a theatrical experience that examines the mechanisms of contemporary theater.
The show adopts a hybrid form, between performance and theatrical play. The scenic universe is based on a deliberately unbalanced situation: a prominent film actor dialogues with a young director grappling with his own contradictions. This asymmetry structures the artistic gesture, which questions institutional practices, rehearsal protocols, and reflexes inherited from theatrical tradition. The stage becomes a space where the tensions of the cultural milieu and the difficulty of "representing" Poil de Carotte without freezing its emotional charge are revealed.
The show was designed by Flavien Bellec and Étienne Blanc, and stars Flavien Bellec and Solal Forte. The show is produced by Frenhofer, in co-production with the Théâtre des Bains-Douches, and benefits from numerous institutional supports, including Réseau Diagonale, TANIT Théâtre, La Cité Théâtre, L'Étincelle - Théâtre de la Ville de Rouen, and the DRAC Normandie as part of its Pépinière d'artistes program.
The project is part of the dramaturgical research conducted by the company over several years. The creative process described by the team highlights a desire to re-examine the codes of contemporary theater: subverting expectations, disrupting the relationship with the audience, and focusing on form above all else. The literary figure of Poil de Carotte has emerged as a mirror of artistic doubt, echoing the hesitations and feelings of inadequacy that run through Jules Renard's writing. The show is thus constructed as a mise en abyme of the creative gesture, a field of experimentation where the search for truth, rituals, clumsiness, and strategies of revelation confront each other.
Poil de Carotte, Poil de Carotte can be seen at the Athénée Théâtre Louis-Jouvet from December 9 to 13, 2025. The show will then tour on April 1 and 2, 2026 at the Théâtre de l'Étincelle in Rouen, co-hosted by the CDN de Rouen-Normandie.
This page may contain AI-assisted elements, more information here.
Dates and Opening Time
From December 9, 2025 to December 13, 2025
Location
Athénée Théâtre Louis-Jouvet
7 Rue Boudreau
75009 Paris 9
Official website
www.athenee-theatre.com
