Edmond and a Flea in her Ear
Lately, I've been going back to the theater.
Yeah, I don't know what's gotten into me: must be the start of a depression.
I've seen some fantastic stuff – including I Wish I Were Jeff Bezos which is currently playing, go check it out!
And then I saw... Edmond.
It's the hugely successful play by this wildly successful playwright who only produces hits. Honestly, I was thrilled at the idea of sharing the love for a popular show with the rest of France. I was going to laugh, be moved, then join the conversations in cafés shouting "I saw it too!!" and we'd reminisce about the best moments, laughing together. I might even have made some new friends.
And then... flop.
That said, it's always tricky to speak ill of a play that so many people have loved. To keep it measured, I'll just say this:
This play is garbage and everyone who liked it is an idiot.
Oh well, no new friends for me.
To keep it brief: I found the writing labored, the humor lowbrow, relying on overdone accents and heavy-handed jokes. It's yet another remake of "Shakespeare in Love" except the connections between the author's life and his work are artificial and anecdotal – a clumsy device that serves as an excuse for cheap twists.
All of this is performed by actors – all very talented, I'm sure – who rotate from show to show in what has become industrial theater.
On the "plus" side: yes, the staging is dynamic, very cinematic, the scenes flowing like in a film, with music that sounds like a soundtrack. Cinema recreated on stage. Why not.
Then I went to see A Flea in Her Ear at the Comédie-Française.
The play is long – over two hours – but a real delight. You can feel a company that has had time to work every scene, every exchange, every line to get the most comic effect out of it – that's what public theater is for, after all. You're surprised by unexpected shifts, gestures, sometimes even stunts that emphasize and invigorate the text, making it lively, accessible, and modern.
And the venue. I had forgotten how beautiful it is.
Okay, maybe I'm being a bit mean to Edmond. It's still well-constructed, well-directed, and visually pleasing. It's a show. If you go with friends, you'll probably have a good evening. And above all, when you leave, don't forget to delete my number.