The Diva Hidalgo: we don’t – either
CRITICAL – Anne Hidalgo, Rachida Dati and Patrick Balkany are the heroes of a dependent show signed Attilio Maggiulli, who settles accounts and grumbles after his missing subsidies. Atmosphere on a background of garbage cans.
A pestilential odor emanates from the pile of rubbish accumulated at 17-19, rue de la Gaîté, in front of the only theater dedicated to commedia dell’arte of France, the Italian Comedy. “Mephitic Smell Curtain, NE NOT TO TOUCH», Indicates the piece of red fabric in front of the front door. The protection is illusory: passers-by, including many tourists, take pictures of its blue facade in a Harlequin coat while covering their noses or hasten to cross the street where the air is barely less polluted. “There must be ratsa septuagenarian whispers to her husband in disgust.
“Enter quickly, there are other castaways”warns Attilio Maggiulli, the director of the place (the Italian with the mandolin in the film by Patrice Leconte Les Bronzés go skiing, it’s him). We are part of the bold who dare to push the curtain to discover a show of their own called The Diva Hidalgo, queen of sores, in which the manager scratches the chosen one at will and without taking gloves.
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Subsidies and facelifts
The man who was Giorgio Strelher’s assistant at the Piccolo Teatro in Milan has a lot on his heart. It has been deprived of subsidies since 2012. And is forced to attend the renovation of its facade by Nexity, the manager of the building located at number 17. The golden angels on the first floor have already disappeared. Dating from 1993, the decoration is however mentioned in the tourist guides. Attilio Maggiulli has posted on the facade the mention ” except category» which he received in 1995 from «the most beautiful shop front and illuminated signs in Paris.“In 2013, fed up with seeing his subsidies drop and fearing being expelled, he drove his car into the gates of the Élysée Palace, before being admitted to the psychiatric infirmary of the Paris police headquarters. .
“What happens to my house?!”, worries Harlequin at the start of the play. Narrator, he takes the public to the year 2048 in a capital invaded by sores and brown rats, as holey as a Dutch cheese. The decor of the room is made up of odds and ends. Anne Hidalgo’s throne repainted in gold is made from a green trash can. Construction studs and large plastic pipes, also repainted in gold, frame the plateau. “The accessories were entirely recovered from the site waste dump”specifies Attilio Maggiulli in his note of intent.
The three actresses, Hélène Lestrade, Joëlle Séchaud and Laura Galidie camp with spirit, characters freely inspired by politicians. Decked out in a hairpiece and multicolored gloves, the mayor of Paris is transformed into a clown with red shoes. She is in a civil partnership with Rachida Dati. Pierced on shiny heels, open with trinkets and junk jewelry, the mayor of the 7th arrondis*****t of the City of Light has the false air of fallen Cleopatra.
In the story, the “Diva Hidalgo” has a friend for a certain “Balka” (Patrick Balkani) who wants to do big business with her. Especially building buildings. Cigar in the mouth, the former mayor of Levallois-Perret takes advantage of his visit to steal objects.
The eleven spectators, including yours truly, are not laughing much. “A nice and light comedy”, judges a fifty-year-old. We quickly understood the load, the “delirious game of massacre” designed by Attilio Magiulli. The latter wants to save his theater. He claims that nearly 26,000 people have signed the petition against the destruction of the facade. In the hall, he displays a list on which we can read the names of Fabrice Luchini, Alexandra Lamy, Pierre Arditi, Roberto Benigni, Jean Dujardin, Francis Huster, Didier Sandre, Brigitte Fossey, Philippe and Stéphanie Tesson or even Isabelle Huppert.
Reckless, Attilio Magiulli wants to launch a new petition for the “put under guardianship of Mrs. Hidalgo and her staff of the town hall of Paris” with the prefect of police of Paris. Because in her show, greedy for power and wanting too much to destroy the City of Light, the interested party sinks into madness.
» The Diva Hidalgo, queen of sores, at the Italian Comedy, 19, rue de la Gaîté 75014 Paris. Loc. : 01 43 21 22 22, comedie-Italienne.fr
