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
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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