Nice Premium: Why did you title this play “In Truth I Lie to Myself!”?
Anne Bernex: Because it accurately reflects the story being told. It’s the story of a female radio host, strong enough to answer people’s questions. She seems very strong, but in fact, her life is just a fiasco and she refuses to see it. She is going to be confronted by her conscience, which will try to make her face the truth. It’s somewhat everyone’s story: we all have problems we don’t want to face. In the story, the conscience of this woman, named Natacha Berger, gets fed up with not being listened to and decides to take on a human form. She turns into a human and pretends to be her roommate to try and make her face the truth. The title is a nod to “La vérité si je mens” (The Truth If I Lie). Plus, it fits very well with the theme of what’s being played on stage.
NP: How would you define this play?
AB: It’s a comedy of manners. In fact, there is a really deep and human theme presented in a humorous tone.
NP: What inspired you to write this play?
AB: Myself, my friends, and my feelings. There are real things that I don’t want to look at because they hurt me, they touch me, it’s too painful. So, I set them aside. And I see that a lot of people function like that too. As a former social worker, which is my first profession, it interested me to bring this to light and stop lying to ourselves.
NP: Do you compare yourself to Natacha Berger?
AB: I remembered Macha Béranger, a radio host who would welcome people in the evening with a deep voice and give them advice. It was a nod to Macha Béranger. There is a similar sound with Natacha Berger. Her conscience is called Cerise. She acts a bit like Cerise from Groupama who gets involved in people’s lives. I like this name. Plus, it’s my niece’s name.
