the "Thyeste" by Thomas Jolly, as icy as spectacular

At the foot of the wall of the Court of Honor, gigantic mineral cliff, ghostly silhouettes arise. They wear horror masks reminiscent of the Noh theater, eyes wide with having cried too much. At the head of these furies, the actress Anne Mercier, dressed in a "Tame Shrew" costume, gives the meaning of Seneca's words: a brutal word, harbinger of darkness. His deep and powerful voice erases at once the song of the flapping martinets shouting over the stands.

The Curse of the Atrides

By his incantations, the fury brings out from the Underworld the specter of Tantalus (Eric Challier in a foolish reptilian costume) Tantalum, the grandfather guilty at the time of having killed his own son and whose curse will, despite himself, contaminate the palace of his grandson Atreus, at Mycenae, because this act of Tantalus will be the first of a terrible series that will bruise the lineage of the Atrides to the point of madness.

It is through his work on Shakespeare, himself influenced by Seneca, that Thomas Jolly discovered the Roman author, Stoic philosopher who was the tutor of Nero and who was also a very great playwright And it's finally "Thyeste", the one of the ten tragedies that remain to us of the author, who caught his attention.

The interview of Thomas Jolly: images of Simran Singh

Vengeance

But let's resume the thread of this terrifying story: Atrée reigns over Argos, it is a descendant of Jason who had stolen the fleece of gold; Atrée is also the twin brother of Thyeste. And Thyeste himself stole the fleece of gold, symbol of power, which allowed him to occupy the throne with the complicity of the woman of Atreus. But the package of Thyeste has been unveiled and Atrée has regained power. His frustration and jealousy drive him to continue his revenge. He recalls his brother banished under cover of a reconciliation, and at the banquet that must seal it, he makes him eat his own stew.

Jolly Tames the Court

The play is built in five parts that respect the chronology of history. Thomas Jolly deploys his art of staging, his taste for the spectacular, baduming the excesses he sees in this tragedy. It is served, this time, by a monumental decoration which seems to be born by the wall of the Palace. On the garden side, with an upside-down head, revolted eyes and gaping mouth, an open and clenched hand on the courtyard

He uses perfectly the natural and grandiose decor he has at his disposal, this Court of Honor which becomes the immense palace of Atrée he illuminates the openings like murderous windows, extinguishing them just after, reigniting them again, he who has always loved the lights and the neon lights.

A cohort of children who embodies humanity

] The whole show is carried by a remarkable musical line, composed by Clément Mirguet and performed on stage.The choir that accompanies the changes of paintings is sung by a comedian-singer who looks like a rapper. joined, just before the final scene, by a cohort of children embodying the whole humanity, victim of the dreadful drama being played and who wonders about the disappearance of the sun.

Thomas Jolly canary yellow suit and neon green crown

Thomas Jolly, canary yellow suit and neon green crown, plays Atrée, the thirsty revenge brother who, alone in his eyes, will be able to establish his victory and his legitimacy. A role of monster like Jolly likes them and of which he studies the metamorphosis with the thread of the spectacle (He incarnated already Richard III, this other monster).

It makes of Atrée a cold-blooded animal, a kind of snake devoting itself only to his vengeance, without emotion and dimension, because Atrée outside of his vengeance has little relief.

The third painting, which sees Thyeste surrounded by his children back to Mycenae, is the only parenthesis "serenity" wanted by Seneca, before the terrible denouement. Damien Avice, surrounded by three young actors of the Maîtrise of the Opéra-Comique, gives his character of Thyeste all the necessary ambivalence, terror and fragility. He feels the threat of his brother but, rebadured by his sons, he decides to face his destiny.

An odious crime that destroys the order of the world

The final scene of the banquet, where Thyeste eats the flesh and drinks the blood of her children without her knowledge, is of course, a torture for the spectator who, he knows, too bad it is a little too long, supported, arousing more disgust than emotion! But Jolly closed it cleverly, letting a clear glimpse of the spiral trouble coming, because this heinous crime destroys the order of the world.

Lying on the banquet table, the two brothers compete Imprecations. Thyeste is doomed to become a monster in turn. "These brothers are twins, the harm they inflict on the other they inflict on themselves.There is no way out, there is no end," warned Thomas Jolly (see our interview)

A show worthy of the Court of Honor

We come out of this Thyeste shaken, intrigued, often fascinated, but not totally convinced. Thomas Jolly may play a little too much shine to the detriment of emotion or the story of Atreus and Thyeste is too barbaric for our ability to empathize against Thyeste, the victim. Nevertheless: we have seen in any case a show worthy of opening a festival, and Thomas Jolly has succeeded his bet, he who wanted to be at the height of the mythical Court of Honor.

The interview of Damien Avice (Thyeste)