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Les Chatouilles ou la danse de la colère
Andréa Bescond
Les Chatouilles ou la danse de la colère
photo: DR
Actes du théâtre n° 92.[ imprimer ]
The strange story of Odette,
a young dancer robbed of her childhood
who is fighting to rebuild herself.
Through a cast of characters that take you from laughter to tears,
where words and dance blend together,
Andréa Bescond transports the audience on an emotional roller coaster
from which they do not emerge unscathed.
Éric Métayer has staged this “Angry Dance”
in a perfect balance between text and choreography.
A rare and wonderful moment of theater!

"Why "Les Chatouilles"?
I felt compelled to choose this story as a way of surviving, out of a desire to say loud and clear what many people don't want to hear and reject outright, for what could be more unbearable than the rape of a child?
"Les Chatouilles" is not about judging, it's not condemning the illness of a sick person inflicting abuse on a weaker person but rather realizing it's a fight to exist, to breathe, to survive.
My character, Odette, is one of the ones fighting, keeping silent about a violent trauma, even blocking it out and is then hit full force when it comes back at her like a tsunami. She's one of the ones whose childhood was broken by an adult's hand down her cotton panties; she endures it, keeps quiet then blocks it out but ultimately remembers, rejects and then exposes it.
The classic journey of a child victim of pedophilia - that's what "Les Chatouilles" is about.
Odette takes us deep into her dance, enabling her to express what she cannot say in words.
When life silences our words, our bodies take the floor. Dance and music play a crucial part in this piece, making it completely original and unique; the movement adds a note of poetry where words fail.
"Les Chatouilles" is a rare play because it takes on a heavy subject and deals with it in a light way with a great deal of humor, making the audience laugh a lot! Life is made of such extremes. Odette's journey may seem unusual, but it was inspired by a true story, as true as these alarming statistics: there are 75,000 rapes every year in France and as many involving only children. Surely that was worth writing a play about, wasn't it?"
Andréa Bescond

"This production uses reserve in dealing with a sinister subject, without hiding anything and sometimes laughing at the difficult journey of one of "the resilient ones" saved by dancing ... which
Andréa Bescond shows us in a concrete way by translating that terror in her solos - like screams."
Emmanuelle Bouchez. Télérama Sortir

"In addition to the powerful text she has written, Bescond is amazing acting out the characters dotting her past. She moves from one to the other with a gesture or an expression, transforming her face. She places the audience from every point of view. You become captive, victim and persecutor, by turns the mother or a childhood friend … The absurdity of life and Odette's courage underscore the will to live with captivating power in Les Chatouilles."

Hadrien VOLLE – www.sceneweb.fr

Andrea Bescond proceeds without pathos, even succeeding in making you laugh.
Jacques nerson L’Obs
...reactions from her entourage. You leave feeling stunned and blown away by the transformation of a personal drama into a superb work of art.
TB Le Parisien

Théâtre du Petit Montparnasse, 14.01.-26.06. 2016
Direction: Eric Métayer. Lighting: Jean-Yves de Saint-Fuscien. Sound: Vincent Lustaud. Cast: Andréa Bescond.

Characters : 1 women -

The actress is sitting onstage with no decor, she's dressed in a simple outfit - jeans, a sweater, little pair of shoes and a ponytail for a hairdo.
The music starts up (Hand Cover Bruise) then fades a bit but remains as an oppressive presence. The actress plays out a dialogue between two characters, Odette and Miguié (A man with a strong accent from the south).

Odette is drawing.
MIGUIÉ Odette
ODETTE Yes?
MIGUIÉ Oh you're all alone? what are you doing? drawing? That's great! Do you like drawing?
ODETTE Yes I love it
MIGUIÉ Oh wow, you've really grown, how old are you now?
ODETTE Eight
MIGUIÉ Eight? you're really pretty
ODETTE Thanks
MIGUIÉ You've got beautiful hair
ODETTE Thanks
MIGUIÉ you know I wish I had a little girl like you that I could draw with, tell stories to. Sure, I've got three boys, and all they think about is football. Listen, there's something I'd like to ask you but it's kind of silly …
ODETTE Go ahead Gilbert, tell me!
MIGUIÉ No it's too stupid
ODETTE Come on Gilbert!
MIGUIÉ All right, how would you like to play dolls with me?
ODETTE I'd love to and I've got lots of them!
MIGUIÉ (interrupting her) No no hang on ... (He walks over and opens the door, looks around, locks it and walks back to her.) what would be really great see is if you were the doll and I was the little girl, then I could do your hair and dress you up, wouldn't that be fun?
ODETTE Yes I guess so
MIGUIÉ But you can't tell anyone that Gilbert plays with dolls! imagine the shame "yeah Gilbert plays with dolls, Gilbert plays with dolls"
ODETTE Well yeah that's true boys don't play with dolls!
MIGUIÉ That's right! is that your bathroom there? (Pointing upstage.)
ODETTE Yes
MIGUIÉ Can you lock it?
ODETTE Uh… yes
MIGUIÉ Good, let's go in your bathroom, but careful Odette, you can't tell anyone! because I'm coming to play with you because you're all alone ... come on sweetheart

They walk upstage together, the music gets louder, in the shadows we can make out dancing (there's nothing vulgar, no nudity, the dance feels oppressed, suffocating, trembling)
Black