He introduces himself, his name is Henri, and he has succeeded in life, in the sense that he is doing what he has always wanted. An original concept, a good group of friends, and the event quickly took off, becoming a much-anticipated meeting.
The principle of Henri Concas’s improv aperitifs is simple. You come as you are and do what you want. More precisely, you arrive in front of two hats: In one, you can suggest improvisation topics; in the other, if you’re feeling brave, you can drop in your name.
The evening starts and teams are formed by drawing names. Then, these groups draw a topic and have 4 (small) minutes to prepare their 3-minute improvisation. Lots of laughter and sometimes pleasant surprises on stage with the regular presence of local artists from the Nice and Riviera scene.
So, we also made our little hat with “Improv Aperitifs” questions; it’s up to you to pick the first one, Henri!
Nice Premium: You are a hairdresser from Nice and want to make people laugh. You have 5 lines?
Henri Concas: Well, right away these 5 lines make me think that I could be in front of my salon with 5 fishing rods playing the guy waiting for the client, rod and net in hand… I’d also love to play the blind hairdresser with all the visuals that go with it, but it might seem politically incorrect… I also like the idea, established with my team, that at the whistle’s blow, each hairdresser changes clients, thus snapping into action and adapting in a second to the client surprised by this change…
NP: You wake up one fine morning in the role of an organizer. But, what are you organizing?
HC: I am the man who decides the color of the streets and I have each neighborhood repainted by the inhabitants, and even the cats and dogs have to match the street’s color, all changed every 15 days…
NP: You order a niçoise salad and are served a salad with green beans and potatoes. What is your first, and second reaction?
HC: First, I look for the hidden camera… Then, quickly, I ask the restaurateur to show me his vehicle to check its registration, and thirdly, I make him eat his salad but at home because he just broke the second rule of the Niçoise bible. The first being: You will not wear socks with sandals.
NP: You drew from the hat the words: Aperitif – Improv – Theater and Comedy. Four words and their definition to convince…
HC: Aperitif for the conviviality and the sound of cicadas. Improv to learn to adapt to life and its daily situations. Theater, to be as in life as we are on stage, to be once again a child playing to be someone else without limits (the famous politically correct…). Comedy, our Italian side that constantly emerges. We men, we don’t complain more than these ladies, we are more… Actors, I love it.
NP: In life, you have to laugh, but you also have to…
HC: Cry because the two come together. One is the defense of the other, and you must not deny yourself either. I thank my dad who taught me that a boy could and should cry.
NP: There’s nothing left except a stage, whom would you want to be there with?
HC: With family and friends. Pleasure, like knowledge, has a reason to exist only if it’s shared..
