Les idoles: Christophe Honoré's powerful tribute - our review

Published by Philippine de Sortiraparis · Photos by Philippine de Sortiraparis · Published on January 29, 2025 at 10:02 a.m.
Director and writer Christophe Honoré presents Les idoles from January 18 to April 6, 2025 at the Théâtre de la Porte Saint-Martin, a play in which he brings back to life the idols of his youth, swept away in the early 90s by the AIDS virus, in a splendid tribute.

After the cinematic success of Plaire, aimer et courir vite, Christophe Honoré has returned to the theater with Les Idoles, much to our delight. From January 18 to April 6, 2025, he and a brilliant team of actors occupy the stage of the Théâtre de la Porte Saint-Martin, paying a powerful tribute to Bernard-Marie Koltès, Cyril Collard, Serge Daney, Hervé Guibert, Jean-Luc Lagarce and Jacques Demy, key artists in his artistic and social development, all of whom were struck down by AIDS in the early 90s.

The testimonies of those who lived through it are terrible. The discovery of the disease, the increasing number of deaths, the feeling of powerlessness and growing fear. In 1990, Christophe Honoré was 20 years old, and all around him, in the media and on TV, he saw great men fall. With a powerful text, the author honorsin Les Idoles artists who left too soon. Some had spoken out, often through their art, about their illness. Some, like Jacques Demy, died without ever having said anything about it.

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Honoré lends a voice, to himself and to others, a voice and a thought, a feeling, to these men who didn't have the luxury of seeing themselves grow old, the luxury of confiding in themselves any longer. If Christophe Honoré loves cinema, literature and theater, he also loves, passionately, those who made him want to be like them and assume who he was. An artist and a homosexual. In Les Idoles, the director declares his love for great men, who they were and what they left behind, in 2 hours 30 minutes of gripping entertainment.

With new headliners Paul Kircher, but also returning actors Harrison Arévalo, Jean-Charles Clichet, Marina Foïs, Julien Honoré and Marlène Saladna, Les idoles should transport you. Sometimes with humor, always with intelligence, they embody the questions and doubts of these men in a moving tribute by Christophe Honoré .

Our review:

A beautiful tribute to artists who left too soon! While one might expect a dark, sad and fatalistic play, Christophe Honoré delivers a poetic, funny and touching text. The six actors on stage take on Bernard-Marie Koltès, Cyril Collard, Serge Daney, Hervé Guibert, Jean-Luc Lagarce and Jacques Demy, but after their deaths. It's a reunion of friends, where jokes fly, bad tempers are unleashed and debates take hold.

In the magnificent Théâtre de la Porte Saint-Martin, you really get the impression of rediscovering these artists and their history. As well as being a beautiful tribute, Christophe Honoré 's text is committed, and reminds the audience of the sad reaction of public opinion when AIDS arrived in France.

Christophe Honoré 's text is sublimated by the performance of the actors, who transport us with them in their stories for 2 hours and 20 minutes. Marina Foïs is breathtaking, delivering a truly theatrical moment that blends perfectly with Marlène Saladna 's madness.

Christophe Honoré 's staging plays with the limits of cinema and theater,offering an interesting mise en abime. The play is punctuated by 90s music and choreography, breaking up the colder monologues and keeping the audience on the edge of their seats. A fine achievement by Chirstophe Honoré and his actors, which we recommend you discover.

Practical information

Dates and Opening Time
From January 18, 2025 to April 6, 2025

× Approximate opening times: to confirm opening times, please contact the establishment.

    Location

    18 Boulevard Saint-Martin
    75010 Paris 10

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    Accessibility info

    Access
    Strasbourg Saint-Denis metro station (lines 8 and 9)

    Prices
    €13.5 - €55.5

    Booking
    www.portestmartin.com
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