Samuel Labarthe Revives Nicolas Bouvier's 'Le Poisson-Scorpion' at Théâtre de Poche Montparnasse

Actor Samuel Labarthe returns to the role of Swiss writer and traveler Nicolas Bouvier in a stage adaptation of 'Le Poisson-scorpion', directed by Catherine Schaub, at the Théâtre de Poche Montparnasse in Paris. This marks Labarthe's second portrayal of Bouvier, following his acclaimed performance in 'L'usage du monde', which was performed over 200 times. The play is based on Bouvier's 1981 narrative of his 1955 illness-induced immobility in Ceylon (now Sri Lanka), where he turned to observing strange insects and hallucinated dreams. Labarthe, who describes a 'coup de foudre' for the author, discovered Bouvier's work as a 'real emotional and artistic shock', admiring his ability to 'fill moments of ecstasy with words'. Bouvier (1929-1998), a Swiss writer, traveler, photographer, and iconographer, is best known for 'L'usage du monde' (1963), chronicling his road trip with painter Thierry Vernet to Afghanistan. His other works include 'Chronique japonaise', 'Le poisson-scorpion', and 'Journal d’Aran et d’autres lieux'. Labarthe, born in Paris in 1963 to a Franco-Swiss family, trained at the Conservatoire national supérieur d’art dramatique and is widely recognized for his role as Commissaire Laurence in the TV series 'Les Petits meurtres d’Agatha Christie'. The production is part of a radio broadcast on RFI, which also features a segment on World Literacy Day in Chiapas, Mexico, and music by Cascadeur with 'Les temps perdus'.