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

People standing and sitting around a table onstage, holding glasses of drinks, with a bartender behind the bar, raising glasses in a toast 

















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…

Five people sitting around a table onstage, engaged in conversation, with drinks and bottles on the table

Creative Team

Directed in French by Emilie Perraudeau and in English by Christine Renard

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

Two women sitting at a dinner table with bottles of wine, champagne, glasses, and food. The woman on the left is drinking from a glass, and the woman on the right is making a displeased facial expression 
Nathalie Smith and Carole Street (ENG)
A woman holding a glass of champagne and looking at a man checking his watch at a dinner table 
Fanny Dulin and Jamie Alderson (ENG)
A man sitting at a bar counter, reading a book with his arms crossed. Behind him are bottles of liquor, glasses, and a framed poster on a dark red wall with a blackboard 
Alexander Devrient (FR)
A man talking on a vintage rotary telephone, behind a bar with bottles of alcohol 
Jerry Marwood (ENG)
A man standing behind a bar, looking surprised. Behind him on the wall are three framed vintage posters featuring dancers and text in French, with bottles and a glass on the bar 
David Furlong (FR)
Two women sitting onstage, one younger with curly red hair holding a drink, and an older woman with gray hair wearing a colorful striped blouse, looking to the side with a serious expression 
Pauline Cousty and Nathalie Adam (FR)
A man yells at another man onstage. The man with glasses is pointing his finger aggressively. The environment includes bottles of alcohol and posters on the wall
A bar scene with two men facing each other, one on the left with dark hair and glasses, and one on the right with slicked-back hair. There are various bottles of alcohol on the shelf behind them, glasses, and a vintage telephone