Without wishing to fall into a psychoanalytic approach, the dictionary defines hysteria as a violent, unexpected, spectacular and seemingly exaggerated arousal. This is exactly what this excellent show offers us based on ten scenes that any couple is likely to have experienced, in one way or another. Ten seemingly innocuous situations, but which quickly slip on the basis of one word too many, a seemingly innocuous reflection, a simple allusion. Misunderstandings, disagreements, settling of scores, more or less latent crises, unspoken for years, misunderstandings, misunderstandings, quarrels of egos, relational difficulties, hypocrisy, perversity, sadism … Everything passes there and leads to fits of hysteria and separations.
A play with squeaky humor
The scenes, sour, virulent, sometimes violent and brutal, are interspersed with moments of frank complicity between the two protagonists who know that they still love each other, or have loved each other, and try to save the situation. A squeaky or comical humor, derision seem to be able to bring these couples to reason and to relativize the importance of their clashes. But the words have been spoken, the allusions made, the trials of intent realized, and the only way out of these fits of hysteria is separation. The different scenes of couple are cleverly separated by funny, uplifted, playful songs whose humor contrasts with the fatal outcome of these hysteria attacks. Some examples of lines, very truthful, will give an idea of the tone of the piece:
- We do not say everything we think, but when we say something, it is because we mean it!
- I'll try to be what you expect from me
- Why you don't love me anymore.
These are things that happen
- When we're not together, we forget why it didn't work out between us, but when we get together, we know it.
- I want you. That's because I hardly ate anything at the restaurant
- Loneliness for two is the worst
- I can't have dreams for two. You have to feed them a little
- When you are a woman and you have hair on your chin, you usually wax it
The play ends with these words which are a good summary: We are so different, like day and night, like black and white, like a crisis of hysteria! The play is brilliant: funny, moving, realistic, sometimes violent and scathing! It obviously does not fail to remind us of certain situations experienced or almost that a minimum of intelligence or understanding of the other would have turned differently. Love remains, fortunately, the greatest of mysteries, and the one that gives the most meaning to life! The three performers, Nathalie Freymond, Nathan Pannatier, Olivier Giroud, show great energy and astonishing vitality. An excellent staging by Gaétan Mottet, makes Hysterias a show not to be missed under any circumstances.
Practical information:
Au verb fou From 6 to 30 July Break on 12, 19, 26 July Text: Alexis van Statum Directed by: Gaétan Mottet Cast: Nathalie Freymond, Nathan Pannatier, Olivier Giroud
