Juste la fin du monde: Jean-Luc Lagarce's play starring Vincent Dedienne - our review

Louis has returned to his family home. He hasn't been back for years, but he's come to tell his family the news of his imminent and irremediable death. This is the premise of Juste la fin du monde, probably the most famous play by playwright Jean-Luc Lagarce - made into a film by Xavier Dolan in 2016 - written in Berlin in 1990, when Lagarce knew he was ill with AIDS, which he died of a few years later, in 1995, at the age of 38.

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This week, Paris offers an exceptional selection of plays and shows to suit all tastes. Take advantage of the capital's charm and long summer evenings to discover new creations. [Read more]

Vincent Dedienne returns to the stage with Un soir de Gala
Vincent Dedienne, a leading figure in the world of humor, returns to the stage in Paris from December 17 to 31, 2024 with his one-man show Un soir de Gala, at the Théâtre des Bouffes du Nord. The show had already won the Molière de l'Humour in 2022, and was performed last April at L'Olympia. [Read more]

In this play, presented at the Théâtre de l'Atelier from January 15, 2024 and directed by Johanny Bert, floating objects become the silent witnesses of past generations, in a dreamlike universe. Juste la fin du monde explores the complexity of family relationships through the power of words and meaningful silences.

• To be read
• Tips for the week of February 3 - 9, 2025 in Paris: free or inexpensive outings

Today,Jean-Luc Lagarce is considered one of the most widely performed contemporary authors in France. He has written some twenty plays, marked by themes such as loneliness, failed communication and death, all of which are reflected in his play Juste la fin du monde (Just the End of the World). Equally renowned for his fragmented dialogues, in which silences and unspoken words reveal human tensions, he has influenced, and continues to influence, contemporary theater.

A recent Molière award-winner, Vincent Dedienne has distinguished himself on stage as well as in film. His recent career testifies to his versatility and ability to navigate between different artistic registers, between his new one-man show Un soir de Gala, his acting in Un chapeau de paille d'Italie and his latest film as an actor, Je ne suis pas un héros. He returns to the Paris stage next January with Jean-Luc Lagarce 's play Juste la fin du monde.

Our review:

If there's one thing we loved, it's the staging! Extremely well thought-out, Johanny Bert 's staging is like a moving painting before our eyes. As the day goes by, the sets change, moving delicately from ceiling to floor as they are pulled along by a cord.

For those already familiar with the writings of playwright Jean-Luc Lagarce, you'll rediscover the musicality he put into his plays, the language being repetitive and fragmented. The author combines simplicity and complexity, and this is reflected in the staging. If you have trouble with monologues, don't bother, as the play is full of them. The cast works in perfect harmony, and the performance of young actress Céleste Brunnquell caught our attention.

One thing you should know: Juste la fin du monde is not necessarily a play to go and see for the first time. The pace is slow, the tension builds gradually and the text may seem abrupt to many.