David Lescot

Born in 1971 Author, director and musician. Artist associated to Théâtre de la Ville. He mixes theater to nondramatic forms, particularly music and singing. He was awarded the Syndicat de la critique Prize for Un Homme en faillite (2007), the Grand Prize for dramatic literature for L’Européenne in 2008 and the Molière de la Révélation théâtrale in 2009 for La Commission centrale de l’Enfance. In 2011 he created 33 tours at Festival d’Avignon, which later became 45 tours. In 2012, he created his play Le Système de Ponzi at Théâtre de la Ville. The play was adapted for Arte, directed by Dante Desarthe (broadcasting beginning 2014). Last creation: Les Jeunes, at Théâtre de la Ville (November 2012). His texts are played and translated in many languages and published by Editions Actes Sud Papiers.

Theatre works
1998 / Les Conspirateurs; unpublished ; first staged : 1999 , Théâtre International de Langue Française, Paris
2000 / L’Association; first staged: 2002, Théâtre de l’Aquarium, Paris ; published in 2002 by Actes Sud papiers
2001 / Mariage; first staged: 2003, la MC93 Bobigny ; published in 2002 by Actes Sud papiers
2002 / L’Instrument à pression; first staged: 2007, la Ferme du Buisson ; published in 2004 by Actes Sud papiers
2003 / L’Amélioration; first staged: 2004, Théâtre du Rond-Point, Paris ; published in 2004 by Actes Sud papiers
2005 / Un Homme en faillite; first staged: 2006, Traverse Theatre d’Edinburgh and Theatre de Wilhelmshaven in Germany; published in 2007 by Actes Sud papiers
2006 / L’Européenne; first staged: 2007, Théâtre du peuple, Bussang ; published in 2007 by Actes Sud Papiers
2005 / La Commission centrale de l’Enfance; first staged: 2008, La Maison de la Poésie, Paris ; published in 2008 by Actes Sud Papiers
2008 / Nos Occupations; first staged : 2013, la Filature, Mulhouse ; published in 2008 by Actes Sud papiers
2010 / Les Jeunes; first staged: 2012, Théâtre de la Ville, Paris ; published in 2011 by Actes Sud Papiers
2011 / Le Système de Ponzi; first staged : 2012, Théâre de l’Union, Limoges ; published in 2012 by Actes Sud Papiers

Les jeunes (crise d’adolescence)
The text is composed of a succession of chapters concerning two rock bands of teenagers in regular alternate sequences. The two rock bands can be seen going back to the origins of their musical vocation, their first encounters, then their rehearsal sessions and finally, the proclamation of their aesthetic/musical manifesto. What those youths love about rules is in fact transgressing them, even the rules they themselves set. The two bands rarely meet, except during recording studio sessions and it is always with hateful competition for the boys, and haughty indifference for the girls. The end, the inevitable fall, is also the advent of a new beginning.

– Extracts from Les jeunes –

OFF: For some time at least they bear with the fact that Honoré is counting out loud above the music.
Igor: Our musical references will definitely stop at the year 1976.
Jick: definitely. After 76, finito. Decadence.
Honoré: One two three four five six seven eight.
Igor: And no more than three instruments in our band.
Jick: A trio, period.
Honoré: One two three four five six seven eight. Igor: Guitar bass drums.
Jick: Guitar bass drums. Igor: And vocals.
Jick: And vocals and that’s it.
Honoré: One two three four five six seven eight. Igor: And we will never use multi-effect amplifiers.
Jick: Never.
Honoré: One two three four, one two three four.
Igor: And we will only use the sound that is directly and purely produced by our instruments without ever altering it with any exterior effect.
Jick: No use of effect pedal.
Igor: No effect pedal.
Jick: No exterior effect.
Igor: No distorsion.
Jick: The sound, directly and purely produced.
Honoré: One two three four five six seven eight. Igor: And no Muff Drive.
Jick: No Muff Drive.
Igor: In a pure way.
Jick: And direct.
Honoré: One two three four five six seven eight.
Igor: And we will devote all our time, except for our obligations, to the band and to our music.
Jick: All our time.
Honoré: One two three four five six seven eight.
Igor: And we will never stop doing our best to improve and bring our music to the highest levels.
Jick: Well said.
Honoré: One two three four five six seven eight.
Igor: And we will never let anyone nor anything interfere in the conduct and direction we have chosen to give to our music.
Jick: Never anything nor anyone.
Honoré: One two three four five six seven eight.
Igor: And we will never on no account let our music be distorted for commercial, advertising, media-related, demagogical reasons.
Jick: Let’s say so.
Igor: And we will keep in an outer circle away from us any female element that could consider approaching our own selves in the times that are to be exclusively devoted to our band and our music.
Jick: No female element.
Honoré: One two three four five six seven eight.
Igor: And during the existence of our band we will refuse any contact with any female element whatsoever.
Jick: No female element. No contact.
Honoré: One two three four five six seven eight.
Igor: And we will know how to resist the temptations the young damsels will shamelessly brandish in front of the fallible group members to weaken and undermine the integrity of their musical vocation.
Honoré: One two three four, one two three four.
Jick: We will know. We will resist. You’re offbeat, Honoré.
Igor: And we will banish from our lives the presence of young damsels for as long as our band will live.
Jick: No damsels in our lives. You’re offbeat.
Honoré: One two three four five six seven eight.
Igor: And we will choose music over love and we will choose music over everything, and love will not restrain our music, and the love of music will represent for us any other kind of love, and any other kind of love will be removed from us, and sentimental love, carnal love, oral love, romantic love, dreams of love, love in all its reality will be removed from us, and will only be uttered in our musical pieces and expressed in our music , purified to its very quintessence, elaborated, shaped into art, transfigured into melody, but totally discarded in its real, physical and brutal form, always sung but never lived…

Edition 2017-2020