The last note just fell, the audience remains stunned and silent for a few seconds before exploding, standing up as one, eyes moist with emotion, and offering a real and endless standing ovation to Toinou dau Gourg. Climax!
No, Sian d’Aqui has not become a show producer, but nonetheless, for the 5th consecutive year, the association has organized the Fourres de Rire, the comedy festival of the County of Nice.
The founding idea of the Fourres de Rire is to meet four main ambitions:
- To allow the people of Nice to see or revisit local artists on stage, whether they are famous or up-and-coming;
- To offer a chance to new local comedic talents to become known to a wider public;
- To encourage and inspire the creation of original works labeled “County of Nice.”
- To present artists with confirmed talents from elsewhere so that the people of Nice can discover them.
A look back at this superb 5th edition…
Richard Cairaschi opened the event with “C’est déj@ demain.” Within 2 minutes, Richard had won the audience over and delighted a knowledgeable public with Roger, Tantine… and others.
Thursday night, the headline act was Anne Bernex and her solo show: Si j’osais… and heaven knows she dared almost everything for the great pleasure of the audience. For the record, Anne Bernex won the audience award at the 2006 edition. Mission accomplished, and with style!
On Friday, the 19th, the stork Huguette Dreikaus, a true phenomenon in eastern France, landed in the old town. What talent! A complete artist, without lights or artifice, equipped just with a headset microphone, Huguette delivered her stand-up act at lightning speed. The audience glued to their seats savored the Alsatian gems with delight.
Finally, on Saturday, the 20th, Xavier Borriglione enchanted the Francis Gag, but you already know that. A funny show, but not only that… a message of love, tolerance, generosity delivered by a true innocent, sometimes naive, and always accurate.
At the start of each evening and as is done every year, the discovery panels allowed the audience to discover 6 young local comedic talents: Clément Brun, Maheidine Adjaout, Véronique Crivellaro, Thibaud Choplin, Zack Naranjo, and Wahid Maddouri. Let’s make a bet, there was a seed of talent there, and we will certainly hear more about some of them. Let’s take this opportunity to warmly thank them for their gracious participation. The audience awarded its prize to Thibaud Choplin, a highly talented impersonator. Optique Garnier, partner of the 2007 Fourres de Rire audience award, presented the magnificent trophy imagined and designed by Ters, a Nice-based visual artist, to the winner.
As you know, the association Sian d’Aqui is composed of volunteers, people who give selflessly. Your laughter, your applause, your enthusiastic emails, your numerous words of encouragement are our only salary… and well, we are rich with all of that. Thank you to the 850 spectators of the 2007 Fourres de Rire and see you in 2008.
Fabrice Mauro
President of Sian d’Aqui
