Bringing together music, text, and pantomime, The Soldier’s Tale is a unique work. At first glance, it may seem “old‑fashioned” because of its archaic French and words chanted to the rhythm of the music. Yet by immersing myself in the story of this eternally dissatisfied young man, I realized that while the form may have gone out of fashion, the content remains timeless.
I asked myself how I could update the story of the soldier who sells his violin — representing his soul — to the Devil in exchange for wealth. I chose to set the plot in a child’s bedroom.
The story unfolds in the 1950s. The alarm clock rings; a young boy rises from his bed and begins to play with his toy soldiers, drawing us into his imagination. The Devil is a clown‑like plush toy who comes to life; his fiancée, a porcelain doll; and the princess, Marilyn Monroe — the actress he secretly loves — steps straight out of a poster on his wall.
But the scene repeats itself. The alarm clock rings again, and again… The animated toys grow unsettling. Are we still in his playful universe, or has it turned into a nightmare? The tale of a young man who loses himself because he is never satisfied becomes, once again, strikingly relevant.
Cast
The Soldat: Marion Moreul
The Devil: Ari Soto
The Princess: Lucie Mei Chuzel
The Doll: Aurélie Garros
The Boyfriend: Sylvain Bouvier
The Mother: Aurélie Garros
The Soldiers and Villagers: Lucie Mei Chuzel, Aurélie Garros, Sylvain Bouvier, Léo Khebizi
Playing Cards and Dancers: Aurélie Garros, Sylvain Bouvier, Léo Khebizi
Ensemble
Didier Sandre, Denis Podalydès, Michel Vuillermoz de la Comédie Française, Olivier Charlier
