The Illustrated Critical Spirit: a show for ages 7 and up in Paris's Plaine district

How can you tell fact from rumor or spot the pitfalls of an image? The Illustrated Critical Spirit tackles these questions in the form of a visual and slapstick theatre show for ages 7 and up. It runs at Espace Paris Plaine, in the 15th arrondissement, from October 27 to November 8, 2026, with showings during the All Saints' Day holidays.

Paul and Ferdinand, two cabaret performers, set out to untangle truth from fiction. Their playground spans language, science, brain mechanics, and media literacy. To explore these topics with both children and adults, the duo leans on songs, magic, and cognitive experiments.

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• Top picks of the week: October 19–25, 2026 in Paris and Île-de-France

Written by Alexandre Letondeur and directed by Ned Grujic, the show brings together Alexandre Letondeur and Romain Puyuelo. The two performers reprise the characters already featured in The Illustrated Little Poilu and The Illustrated Little Resistor. Building on the narrative of the two world wars, this third installment turns its attention to information conflicts and how our opinions are formed.

This youth-targeted production puts misinformation at the heart of a family outing. The Paris performances run at 3 p.m. on October 27, 28 and 31, then on November 1, 4, 7 and 8.

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