The French comedienne and humorist, who will perform at the Morges-sous-Rire festival in June, claims that theater saved her and regrets the «bad spirit» of the time. We met her in her dressing room after a sold-out one-woman show in Grône, Valais.
She could say anything and her audience would still laugh. An audience member once told her that this was the sixth time he'd come to see her, and that the less he understood what she was saying, the more he laughed. Chantal Ladesou's cheekiness, deep voice and rapid delivery make her outings a theatrical masterpiece in their own right.
Only, as it happens, the comedienne doesn't just talk nonsense. Between the interstices of her hilarious sketches about her enduring marriage and the vulgarity of the new guard of humor, one message emerges: theater, which has enabled this Frenchwoman from the north of France to survive her grief, remains a refuge at a time when the field of acceptable expressions is becoming ever narrower.
Chantal Ladesou, 77, frank and luminous, answered the questions of the Regard Libre after a sold-out performance of his new show «Le retour» at the Salle Recto-Verso in Grône (VS).
Le Regard LibreWhat's the secret of your energy?
Chantal Ladesou: I don't have time to grow old. I do so many things that interest me, I'm curious, I have fun... I've wanted to do this job since I was a little girl, so today everything is a gift. What's more, the theaters are full, the welcome is wonderful and I can take my husband everywhere!
How to avoid repetition and boredom?
And there's always an element of improvisation, which I really enjoy. It's never the same performance, otherwise it would be tiring and a bit monotonous. My improvisation changes according to my audience or my mood. I like to keep this part of my show, not only because I enjoy it, but also because I know I'm better that way.
You also convey certain ideas in passing, even in a humorous tone, like when you say that we can't say anything anymore, right?
Yes, exactly. You can't say anything at all anymore. I've got comedian friends who can't even go on television any more because they've had the misfortune to say something. The stage is the last space of freedom. But beware, there are people filming, and it can end up on social networks, so you have to be very careful everywhere. Look at my passage on migrants: some might be shocked when I say that there are a lot of them in France. But it's quite simply true, and I'm having fun with it.
Would you call it susceptibility?
Yes, and bad spirit. A mixture of things like that, no doubt. We also see this phenomenon in cartooning and journalism. People can no longer express themselves, their intimacy is being invaded... Admittedly, phenomena like MeToo have done some good, because there have been abuses. But it's all gone too far. People are turning against each other, men against women, women against men... It's all going to end badly.
Do you see any free-spirited artists among the young comedians you ridicule so self-deprecatingly in your show?
Yes, of course there are, and they're extremely good. That means daring to say things you're not used to hearing. They make me laugh a lot! I'm not going to mention any names, so as not to offend anyone. In any case, I don't know what's going to happen to them, because they're quickly «cancelled». But things could still change.
Apart from freedom, what does the stage mean to you?
Theater saved me when I experienced a great tragedy in my family. (editor's note: at the dawn of her 16th birthday, Chantal Ladesou lost her mother in a car accident – a tragedy that also struck the actress's eldest son in 1998).. It was very difficult at first, but the stage and my fellow actors saved me. I think I could also have been saved in another way, because you have to go on living. But in my case, that's how it happened.
Does this passion carry you through the day, not just when you're on stage?
Yes. When you're passionate about something, you give happiness to those around you. And in return, you get a lot back. Waves of laughter like tonight are extraordinary. It's a charge for me. Before the show, I isolate myself for an hour, anxious, rereading my sketches... And after the show, that's it, I'm fine, just like now. Until the next date! (Laughter)
Chantal Ladesou to perform at Morges-sous-Rire festival on June 9.
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Write to the author: jonas.follonier@leregardlibre.com
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