David Bobée arrives in Lille: “The Théâtre du Nord has made me dream for a long time”

Through Amandine Cow
Published on 11 Apr 21 at 9:48

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Christophe Rauck’s successor at the head of Théâtre du Nord, David Bobée, put down his suitcases at Little (Nerd). One avril 2021, it presents the main lines of the ambitious project he imagines for the cultural structure.

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“The Théâtre du Nord has made me dream for a long time”, announced David Bobée at the outset, during a press conference given on April 7, 2021, to present his project for the Théâtre du Nord.

Its location at the crossroads of Europe, its history, its identity, and its school motivated the artist to take its direction. He who has toured a lot in the region is proud to settle there to participate in the theatrical influence of the northern scene.

School, in particular, represents a new challenge for David Bobée. “I will be able to share the tools which are mine”, he announces, evoking his experience of the scene and the fact that he is still active.

Transdisciplinarity as a trademark

David Bobée stages pieces by authors of our time, still alive, but also shows written in other eras. He who did not go to theater school let himself be carried away by his interest in the performing arts in all its forms. Circassians and dancers, for example, invite themselves in his productions, which are meant to be transdisciplinary.

He will therefore put his hand in the Théâtre du Nord project, which he logically sees being built around the texts. “Christophe Rauck says that great texts make great actors. I agree, ”says the man who is keen to support authors who have a strong approach.

“Blockbuster” in Hauts-de-France

In addition to wanting to bring people through the doors of the theaters of the Théâtre du Nord in Lille and the Ideal in Tourcoing, by thinking about a program and a dynamic thought for each territory, David Bobée announces that he wishes to develop a large production platform, bringing together several cultural players from the region.

“The work is done regularly in pairs. The objective, by setting up a larger production platform, is to create a greater territorial anchoring ”, explains the director.

Equality, diversity, ecology

The Théâtre du Nord of tomorrow will be the one that will meet the public, for example by offering events in front of the Lille theater.

I had fun walking around the Grand’Place in Lille and I asked people to tell me where the theater was. Some did not know how to answer me, others believe that it is closed.

He wants to show that the place exists and still lives, that it has things to offer. For the summer of 2022, a performance of “Lucrèce Borgia” (V. Hugo) will be given in the square, with the facade of the theater as a backdrop.

In his programming, the new director wants to ensure equality between men and women. This will be done for example on the choice of productions. “Women get grants less often and create more intimate creations. However, they must have access to larger stages, ”says David Bobée.

He who fights for diversity in the theater since the beginning of his career announces that it will find its way into the shows offered. “I try to define a culture that is not racist,” he explains. Hear who represents the population as a whole.

A quarter of the programming will be dedicated to regional proposals, another quarter to international and half to national, for ever more diversity in content.

An ecological approach, with a policy of reuse of material (the decor, for example) or an eco-participation on the tickets sold is considered. “It’s a whole CSR project that I intend to carry out”, announces the director.

(Re) conquer hearts

To find an audience, which is going – outside the specific context of Covid – less and less into theaters, the director of the Théâtre du Nord wishes to carry projects that affect a wider audience.

This is why it will offer an eclectic program linked to each territory: the Lille and Tourcoing halls will not see the same projects being held there.

Alongside this, discussions are being carried out around shows accessible to people with disabilities (sound and mental) and roaming around the territory (schools, party halls, libraries, etc.) to further broaden the target.

All of this is just the tip of the iceberg. Like David Bobée, culture enthusiasts can’t wait to see the new era of the Théâtre du Nord begin. See you next September if the sanitary context allows it, with the start of a season which will be that of the transition.

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