A Family Affair and Un Air De Famille by Agnes Jaoui & Jean-Piere Bacri
A cult French comedy about family and being a good human
Art Fabric / Drayton Arms Theatre
Directed in French by Emilie Perraudeau and in English by Christine Renard
“I am already a great fan of French cinema and my expectations were not disappointed. An ensemble piece performed by a strong company of actors, there is no weak link in the chain” Remote Goat
“The translation bubbles with consistent lucidity” EverythingTheatre.com
“One of the best evenings on the London fringe for a long time.” ★★★★ Remote Goat
“A Family Affair is a work of modest brilliance” EverythingTheatre.com
“Everything here is perfectly spick and span, well organised and genuinely enjoyable” One stop Arts
“Cleo Harris Seaton’s set design transformed the performance room into a typically French café bar” EverythingTheatre.com
Presented Alternately in English and French
Nathalie Smith and Carole Street (ENG)
Fanny Dulin and Jamie Alderson (ENG)
Alexander Devrient (FR)
Jerry Marwood (ENG)
David Furlong (FR)
Pauline Cousty and Nathalie Adam (FR)A very successful French comedy, revived for the first time in London. A Family Affair is a cult French play. A caustic comedy, by Agnes Jaoui and Jean Pierre Bacri (Cuisines et Dependances, Le Gout des autres), which won the best script award at the Cesar when they adapted it for the big screen. The play was produced in South Kensington at the heart of the Frenchiest London neighbourhood.
Like every Friday night, the Menard family get together at the “Pere Tranquille”, the café owned by Henri, the eldest son who inherited the business. Henri (“Jerry Marwood is easily the star of the show”) can’t find his wife, which is a shame, as tonight is a night for celebrating. Henri’s younger brother Philippe was on TV, Betty, his sister, talked back to her boss, and it’s Yoyo’s (Philippe’s wife, “It falls to Fanny Dulin’s hilarious portrayal of simple, sweet Yolande”) birthday. Their mother thinks it’s a good day to party, but today’s events dig up family stories, and Madame Menard and her children start to wash their dirty linen whilst some hidden secrets are revealed to everyone. What if Denis, the waiter, decided to interfere? Hopefully, the dog will stay in his place…
Creative Team
English Translation by Andy de La Tour
Set Design by Cleo Harris Seaton
Lighting Design by Benedict Cooper
With two casts composed of Jamie Alderson, Nathalie Adam, Pauline Cousty, Alexander Devrient, Fanny Dulin, David Furlong, Guillaume Laroche, Jerry Marwood, Morgan Sebode, Nathalie Smith, Carole Street, and Blair Robertson