Published in 1961, at the height of the Algerian War (1954-1962), Les Paravents, considered by Genet as "the apogee of his theatrical work", was staged in Paris five years later in 1966, provoking a huge scandal.
This play is certainly one of the founding pillars of contemporary French theatre. Roger Blin premiered Les Paravents at the Théâtre de l'Odéon in 1966, and the scandal was enormous, with some seeing it as nothing more than an insult to France. Set in an Arab country colonized by Europeans, its starting point is the reflection and chaos of the Algerian war.
In this cheeky, epic fresco featuring some 100 characters, Genet thwarts and challenges our codes and expectations. In a unique language, he carries us away and illuminates the world of the dead and the world of the living in various tableaux that make up a fascinating political and poetic ritual. 60 years after its creation, 16 actors and actresses form this human community that also tells a story of immigration in France.
Directed by Arthur Nauzyciel
Photo: © Philippe Chancel
