Yesterday 15/02, I went to my very first live performance in Aix. It was Mille et Une Nuits (1001 nights) written, directed and starred by Louise Moaty. It was a one-man (or woman) play accompanied by a band of four musicians. And... it's all in French. So, I have to admit with my limited ability in French, it was a bit of a personal desperation. I gave up trying to understand what the actress is talking about somewhere in the middle of act 2.
BUT and it's a huge but, this was much more than just a one-man show. It was also a visual and musical experience. The music was beautiful and very emotionally evoking, which helped a lot in storytelling. Moaty was stunning. Besides from some helps from the band, the stage was all hers. Her body language is so adept and convincing. The emotions were expertly conveyed. It was a pleasure to watch her moved on the stage. The simplicity of the whole set up stroke me as a pleasant surprise. The stage was lit by candles which created a moody and mysterious look. Depends on how close or how the actress hold the candles, the light that cast on her face expressed different effects: at one point she was ominous, other she was desperate. The production used a minimal amount of props. Most notable was the big scarf Moaty wore around her waist at the beginning. From the moment she took the scarf of, it transformed into many different things: a dress, a robe, a headdress, a baby, etc. It was, like I said, such a pleasure to witness.
BUT and it's a huge but, this was much more than just a one-man show. It was also a visual and musical experience. The music was beautiful and very emotionally evoking, which helped a lot in storytelling. Moaty was stunning. Besides from some helps from the band, the stage was all hers. Her body language is so adept and convincing. The emotions were expertly conveyed. It was a pleasure to watch her moved on the stage. The simplicity of the whole set up stroke me as a pleasant surprise. The stage was lit by candles which created a moody and mysterious look. Depends on how close or how the actress hold the candles, the light that cast on her face expressed different effects: at one point she was ominous, other she was desperate. The production used a minimal amount of props. Most notable was the big scarf Moaty wore around her waist at the beginning. From the moment she took the scarf of, it transformed into many different things: a dress, a robe, a headdress, a baby, etc. It was, like I said, such a pleasure to witness.
Last but not least, HOW TO GET HOME FROM THE THEATER. I walked. It was late, around 11.30 when I started to walk back. But there were still many people in the downtown area, so it's not too scary. The walk uphill was more deserted and quiet but I saw no suspicious-looking people (at least that's how it was last night), so I guess it's alright. But if you're afraid, there's always taxi or the night navette (shuttle). You can buy a pass for the navettes for €15 for the whole year or semester and they'll pick you up when you call them.