At the Comédie-Française, a Cyrano de Bergerac who feels too much of the times

Our national Cyrano returns to the Comédie-Française. He entered there in 1938 ; he has hardly left her since. Cyrano is a comic, romantic, lunar character. Thus, we can each interpret it as we wish and the directors like to stick their wet snouts into this exquisitely musical masterpiece and pull from their hero's nose the verses they want to hear. More than fifteen years after the production by Denis Podalydès which was an eye-catcher - thanks, among other things, to the scenography of Éric Ruf and the costumes of Christian Lacroix -, it is the turn of Emmanuel Daumas to bite this fang, rub shoulders with this national monument, prince of repartee and declarations of love. There was a crowd the other day to discover Laurent Lafitte in this role which can be that of a lifetime, in the sense that every actor seems to be grateful to this character who alone embodies French theater. To play it is, in a way, to settle a debt. Doing so is not without risk.

On the stage, what do we see? A sort of mound. Behind this yellowish nipple, a curtain with golden strips. This is the setting that Emmanuel Daumas chose to represent the Hôtel de Bourgogne, where the tartignolle Montfleury is about to play (wonderfully overinterpreted by a Nicolas Chupin dressed like a peacock doing a cartwheel). Everywhere, people murmur, they move, they watch for Cyrano's arrival. There he is, hanging from a zip line, crossing the stage! The spectators await the hero's first mating, the first words of Cyrano-Lafitte addressed to Montfleury: “Naughty, haven't I banned you for a month? (…)”

Lafitte wears his eloquent appendage well which accentuates his virility. It must be said that he must feel very alone among all these actors who seem to have come from a bad music hall and who do not skimp on manners. Cyrano-Lafitte has renounced, unlike most of his restless playmates, the grotesque. He is not a comic actor but a dramatic actor. His long-awaited tirade of the nose does not impress. As the performance progresses, we will realize that Lafitte feels more at ease in calm than in storms. His Cyrano is not cheeky. More refined than truculent. A melancholic arrogant.

Then we enter Ragueneau, the master of pâtés and cakes. It is interpreted by a poetic Laurent Stocker beyond praise. His talent is evident as soon as he appears in this candy box, sweet Barbie colors. A sickening atmosphere lightened for a moment by a Méliès-style moon descending from the hangers. But let’s talk about Roxane and Christian. The beautiful Roxane, niece of Richelieu, is perfectly at home in this room. Jennifer Decker wins the Rostand for best actress. This actress has all the assets, intelligence and elegance, to interpret this role which is not only that of a dildo in love. His character shines under the stars. Jennifer Decker is the only actress on set. The duenna, the Bouquetière, the Sisters Marthe and Claire and even Mother Marguerite are respectively played by men. As for Christian, Yoann Gasiorowski looks good very well.

Question: Would Cyrano have fallen in love with Christian to the point of serving him Roxane on a platter? Ridiculous ? Oh yes pathetic. Regardless, Gasiorowski plays the wobbly side of his character in unison: handsome and stupid at the same time. The kiss scene is splendid in its simplicity. We will therefore have to wait until the intermission for our view to be free of this dripping decor. We are at the Arras headquarters. Iron bunk beds set the metallic tone of war. The role of Count de Guiche goes to Nicolas Lormeau, who knows how to be threatening. A shiver runs down our spine when Cyrano dies. Lafitte collapses into his hero's cape and we think, like him, that the simplest desires in the world – life, love, happiness – are desires that are too often thwarted. Poor Cyrano, twice disfigured. By his nose and by this kitsch and oriented staging.

“Cyrano de Bergerac”, at the Comédie-Française (Paris 1er), until April 29, 2024. In Pathé cinemas on January 25, 2024.