Julien Gosselin opens Avignon Festival with five-hour 'Maldoror'

The 80th Festival d'Avignon kicked off with a five-hour performance called 'Maldoror', helmed by director Julien Gosselin at the Palais des Papes’ Cour d'Honneur. This piece blends the poetry of Comte de Lautréamont with Roberto Bolaño’s 'Nazi Literature in the Americas'. It features twelve vibrant actors from the group 'Si vous pouviez lécher mon cœur', and during the second act, the stage transforms into a film studio, complete with large screens. There are two fifteen-minute breaks where the audience can come on stage and enjoy a bar, breaking the traditional barriers. The show dives into themes of evil and violence, enhanced by live music and video footage. Notable cast members include Guillaume Bachelet and Victoria Quesnel. It’s set to be presented at the Odéon in January 2027, also touching on Baudelaire and Mallarmé, alongside interviews with Latin American writers reflecting on nostalgia for Hitler and Aryan rule, linking these themes to contemporary issues of surveillance and racism.