We now know the name of the man who will have the onerous task of organizing and showcasing the four opening and closing ceremonies of the Paris 2024 Olympic and Paralympic Games. Currently director of the Centre dramatique national d'Angers, French director and actor Thomas Jolly has been named artistic director of the famous ceremonies that will open and close the Paris 2024 Olympic Games.
At 40, Thomas Jolly hopes to " offer the world unique images in 2024 ". " By opening up the Games to as many people as possible, Paris 2024 embodies values with which I fully identify. The theater I advocate is also resolutely open. I'm convinced that in this day and age, we need to project ourselves together towards common ideals. In this respect, the ceremonies will be a wonderful opportunity to share a collective narrative, to affirm the possibility of a 'we' before the nations of the world ", he explained in a press release following his appointment.
If you don't know his name yet, Thomas Jolly is no newcomer. Born in Rouen, France, he began his career as a director in 2006 with the creation of his own company, La Piccola Familia.
Proof of his renown, Thomas Jolly was awarded the Prix Jean-Jacques Gautier in 2015. The same year, he received the Molière for directing a public theater production for"Henri VI". His style, inspired by theater, rock opera and soap operas, has won over audiences.
Thomas Jolly also throws down some serious challenges, for example when he staged an 18-hour continuous production of William Shakespeare's"Henry VI" trilogy at the Avignon Festival. This summer, he repeated the experience by imagining a 24-hour play with the entirety of"Henry VI" and"Richard III".
Prolific, Thomas Jolly is due to unveil a new version of the legendary musical"Starmania" this autumn, before staging"Romeo and Juliet" at theOpéra Bastille in Paris in 2023. In 2024, he will then orchestrate the opening and closing ceremonies of the Paris 2024 Olympic and Paralympic Games.
" With an already rich career, Thomas Jolly is in the vanguard of the young, creative and ambitious French artistic scene. His extraordinary shows are proof that he knows how to break the codes of his art to take it higher," said Tony Estanguet, President of Paris 2024, in a press release.
As a reminder, the Paris Olympic Games will kick off on the Seine on July 26, 2024, while the Paralympic Games are scheduled to be held on the Place de la Concorde.
