Text Bertolt Brecht
Translation Pierre Vesperini
Directed by Julie Duclos

GRAND-PEUR ET MISÈRE DU IIIE REICH
FEAR AND MISERY OF THE THIRD REICH


Created on September 24, 2024
at the Théâtre National de Bretagne

“In the country where I will go, this must never happen again."

In Fear and misery of the Third Reich, a series of scenes bring out the daily life of the German people under an authoritarian regime in the 1930s. In all layers of society, in all trades, we encounter individuals at home, within their couple, with their family or among friends. This is a great depiction of how fear gradually creeps and takes power over people's lives.

How and where can fascism take hold? To answer this terrifying question, Julie Duclos highlights situations with extreme precision, managing to reveal what is happening behind the visible.

How lies and fear can insinuate themselves into people's flesh all because of a silence, a word or a glance, and change their relationships – including, and especially, where one would least expect it. The line between lies and truth gradually dissolves. To embody Brecht's work, the performers, all strikingly accurate, borrow modern accents that send shivers down the spine.


With

Rosa-Victoire Boutterin
Daniel Delabesse
Philippe Duclos
Pauline Huruguen
Yohan Lopez
Stephanie Marc
Mexianu Medenou
Barthélémy Meridjen
Etienne Toqué
Myrthe Vermeulen

and, alternating, the children

Mélya Bakadal
Salomé Simon Botrel
Philae Mercoyrol Ribes

and

Elliot Guyot Lavalou
Julien Petersen
Raphaël Takam





Set design
Matthieu Sampeur

Lighting
Dominique Bruguière

Video
Quentin Vigier

Sound design
Samuel Chabert

Costumes
Caroline Tavernier

Assistant director
Antoine Hirel

Lighting Assistant
Émilie Fau

General director,
technical advisor for set design
 
Sébastien Mathé



Lighting management (alternating)
Émilie Fau
Kevin Lebon

Video management
Léo Diologent

Sound management (alternating)
Samuel Chabert
Baptiste Tarlet

Stage management (alternating)
Antoine Cahana
Tanguy Louesdon
Sébastien Mathé
David Thébaut

Dresser
Juliette Jamet


Production
L’In-quarto

Co-production
Théâtre National de Bretagne
Odéon-Théâtre de l’Europe
Comédie de Caen
CDN de Normandie
Comédie – CDN de Reims
Théâtre de Lorient - Centre Dramatique National
La Comédie de St-Etienne – Centre Dramatique National,
Théâtre Les Gémeaux
Scène Nationale – Sceaux
Théâtre National de Nice – CDN Nice Côte d’Azur, Théâtre de Cornouaille – SN de Quimper

With the support of
SPEDIDAM


Administration,
production,
distribution
AlterMachine /
Camille Hakim Hashemi,
Marine Mussillon
Léa Macé

Press relations
Altermachine /
Carole Willemot


With the participation of the construction workshops of Théâtre du Nord - Centre Dramatique National Lille Tourcoing Hauts de France

The play is published by L'Arche in Pierre Vesperini's French translation

Acknowledgments
Biño Sauitzvy, Sylvain Brient, Pierre Vesperini, Johann Chapoutot, Christèle Ortu, Guylène and Christian Hirel, Brice Maurin, Valéry Deffrennes, Coline Lequenne, Gaëlle Bridoux, and the entire team at the Théâtre du Nord construction workshops, as well as the dressmakers of TNB (Armelle Lucas and Isabelle Baudouin). Rozenn Le Neillon Rémond and the Rennes Court of Appeal

Stage photographies by
Simon Gosselin


Julie Duclos is an associate artist at the Théâtre National de Bretagne under the direction of Arthur Nauzyciel, at the Comédie de Caen under the direction of Aurore Fattier, and at the Préau – Centre Dramatique National de Normandie-Vire under the direction of Charlotte Lagrange.

The company is subsidized by the Ministry of Culture and Communication - DRAC Île-de-France.


Coming soon

2025-2026 SEASON


November 27 & 28, 2025

Espace Michel Simon · scène nationale

Noisy-le-Grand


December 3, 2025

Théâtre+Cinéma · scène nationale

Narbonne


January 8, 2026

Le Tangram · scène nationale

Evreux


January 16 → 25, 2026

Les Gémeaux · scène nationale

Sceaux


February 4 & 5, 2026

La Comédie de Caen · centre dramatique national

Caen


February 17 → 19, 2026

Théâtre Sénart · scène nationale

Lieusaint


February 25 & 26, 2026

La Coursive · scène nationale

La Rochelle


March 4 & 5, 2026

Théâtre National de Nice · centre dramatique national

Nice


March 10 → 18, 2026

ThéâtredelaCité · centre dramatique national

Toulouse


April 2 & 3, 2026

 L’Espal · scène nationale

Le Mans


April 28 & 29, 2026

Espace Malraux · scène nationale

Chambéry


Reviews

“A powerful retro-futuristic fresco that resonates dangerously with the excesses of today's world.”

Philippe Chevilley
Les Echos

“In a judicious staging of this work by Bertolt Brecht, the appalling state of Germany after Hitler's rise to power. Disturbingly topical.”

Emmanuelle Bouchez
Télérama

“Julie Duclos takes thirteen of the twenty-four scenes from Brecht's play and infuses them with a sensitive energy that reinforces their political significance.”


Vincent Bouquet
Sceneweb

“Julie Duclos takes on the German playwright's work with cold precision and hits home with a striking portrait of people facing the insidious and inevitable rise of Nazism.”

Eric Demey
La Terrasse

“How fear takes hold of souls and bodies in a totalitarian regime. Brecht portrays pre-war German society and Julie Duclos majestically adapts it in a show that serves as a warning.”

Olivier Frégaville-Gratian d’Amore
L’Œil d’Olivier

Interviews

Les Midis de Culture | Marie Labory | France Culture | 14.01.2025

Previously

2024-2025 SEASON


October 9 & 10, 2024

Théâtre de Cornouailles · scène nationale

Quimper


October 16 & 17, 2024

MC2

Grenoble


December 4 & 5, 2024

Théâtre de Lorient · centre dramatique national

Lorient


December 10 → 12, 2024

Comédie de St-Etienne

St-Etienne


December 18 → 20, 2024

Comédie - CDN de Reims

Reims


January 11 → February 7, 2025

Odéon - Théâtre de l’Europe (Odéon 6e)

Paris


February 13 → 22, 2025

Théâtre National populaire

Villeurbanne


February 27 → March 2, 2025

Théâtre du Nord

Lille


Creation


September 24 → October 3, 2024

Théâtre National de Bretagne

Rennes


Teaser

Artistic file

If you would like further information about the show (technical details, video recording), please send your request to camille@altermachine.fr

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2012

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2009