On Thursday evening, the Théâtre Francis Gag hosted the play “A Special Day,” directed by Christophe Lidon. A lovely moment.
Rome, 1938. On this day, Hitler meets Mussolini. Antonietta, a housewife, mother of five children, and wife, spends a day alone. Her solitude collides with that of her neighbor Gabriel, for the duration of a day. A day to learn to love and live.
Does the story sound familiar? It’s probably because this play is an adaptation of the film by Ettore Scola and Ruggero Maccari released in 1977. A challenging task indeed for Gigliola Fantoni, who took care of adapting the feature film for the theater.
Director Christophe Lidon has managed to surround himself with actors who have already proven their abilities. Corinne Touzet plays the lead role. This actress was the heroine of the famous series “Une femme d’honneur” for over 10 years. Gabriel is played by Jérôme Anger. A regular on the small screen, he has appeared in several TV movies such as “Le destin de Clarisse.”
A pleasant moment
The beginning of the play might make one skeptical. The play of lights on white sheets, the somewhat complex perspectives. Yet, the mechanism eventually engages the viewer, who quickly gets drawn into the story.
The actors are good, and the story is very beautiful. For those who have never seen the film, no problem: there will be no point of comparison that could harm one or the other. For those who have seen it, it is just as interesting to see how a film can be adapted on stage.
The spectator is moved, laughs at times, and above all, applauds at the end.
