A unique festival is making the Nice scene buzz: the Commedia dell’Arte festival. Led by the centenary association La Semeuse, it celebrates a theater that is both demanding and accessible, at the crossroads of cultures.
For ten years, the International Festival of Commedia dell’Arte has been echoing the masks, fights, and laughter typical of this Italian theater born in the 16th century in Nice. The festival director, Frédéric Ray, shares emotionally his passion for the “commedia” story:
“When I was a child, Carlo Boso came to perform in Nice. He gave my mother a book about Commedia. I was marked for life.“
Founded in 2014 with the association La Semeuse, the festival follows a clear objective: to make theater lively and popular, reflecting its Italian roots. “It is a theater demanding in form, yet accessible to everyone, without the need for complex psychology. It is the energy of the body that speaks“, explains Frédéric Ray, who also trained at the Jacques Lecoq theater school.
A Theater of the Body and the Heart
The show “Le Fanfaron“, performed this year by Carlo Boso’s troupe, is a perfect example. Mixing fights, songs, dance, humor, and fraternal love, everything is set to captivate the audience.
“At least 200 hours of rehearsals are needed to reach this level. And Carlo Boso says that a true Commedia show requires 400 hours of work“, notes Frédéric Ray.
This theater of gestures is something that can be learned: the festival offers each year workshops and masterclasses, especially on masked performance, led by Italian masters or directors trained internationally.
The Semeuse company, founded by Frédéric Ray, also embodies the spirit of the festival. It performs throughout the Southern region and also in Italy: Rome, Padua, Puglia… with Franco-Italian actors capable of performing in multiple languages. “The strength of Commedia is also the strength of the collective. These are cohesive troupes, in constant movement“, he emphasizes.
A Festival Rooted in the City
This edition hosted 400 children from Nice, who came from schools to attend performances. This commitment was made possible thanks to the collaboration with the city of Nice and the support of the deputy in charge of Education, Jean-Luc Gagliolo, a faithful partner of the project.
And tomorrow? “I would like to invite troupes from Quebec, weave connections with other festivals. My dream is for Nice to become a world capital of Commedia dell’Arte. It is well-positioned for this, between France and Italy.“
With colorful shows, open public workshops, and a spirit of transmission, the Nice festival upholds a vision of the theater that is demanding, joyful, and deeply human. As its director says: “Viva il teatro – viva la commedia!“
