For its 8th and new edition, the “Fourres de Rire,” the Nice humor festival, is at risk of turning into yet another beautiful “cagade à la niçoise” since the festival, initiated by the dynamic members of the Nissart association Sian d’Aqui, is at great risk of disappearing from the cultural programming grid of the French Riviera that is already not the most abundant in humor!
Due to a lack of “means,” it’s difficult to become prominent in the realm of Niçoise humor, which seems to shine more easily on Parisian stages than on its own. There is no doubt that local cultural officials will be able to provide a logical explanation for the refusal of funding for this type of local event while hundreds of thousands of euros are made available to the Guetta couple for an ephemeral evening.
In the meantime, if this new Niçoise salad were to turn bitter, we’ll have to fully enjoy this last edition of the Fourres du Rire 2010 with a top-notch lineup each night and discoveries coming straight from the South!
Nice Premium: Fabrice, so are we going to have some good laughs again this year?
Fabrice Mauro: Absolutely! We should particularly enjoy it this year because there’s a 99% chance it will be the last.
Budget cuts and strange coincidences have led our usual partners (City of Nice, General Council, and Regional Council) to reduce or even eliminate their support for Sian d’Aqui.
Finances are in the red, and the morale of the troops is down. Let’s hurry up and laugh before we end up crying…
Nice Premium: A true Niçoise flavor this year with the mado and the Richard?
FM: Yes, like a nod. Noëlle and Richard were together for the first Fourres de Rire, they kindly and generously return for the last festival. We’re very touched by this.
Nice Premium: And for the rest of the evenings?
FM: On Friday, the 15th, don’t hesitate for a second to rush and see Florent Peyre. Along with Tano and a few others, he is truly above the rest at the moment, collecting prizes and awards at every festival where he appears. A delight! Divinely well-written texts and an outstanding comedian. Definitely not to be missed under any circumstances.
Saturday is for those with an appetite for laughter. This evening will be a true marathon with over 4 hours of show for 15 €.. A discovery lineup as a starter, the audience award ceremony as a side, Damien Lecamp (a find that you’ll rave about) as the main course, and Karim Duval, 2009’s Audience Choice Award, as dessert!
Karim, we know his universe of quirky characters and incomparable knack for accents from elsewhere. Damien, it’s more in the vein of Pierre Desproges… dark, biting, and with an extraordinary gift for observation. A grand finale!
Nice Premium: A very tempting discovery lineup, I believe, with another local star, a dynamic Niçoise hairdresser?
FM: Yes indeed… this year the discovery lineup is well-stocked. Emilie Atlan, Stan (coming from Marseille) Jo and Alex (from Var), Alain Pascal Casero (a festival regular), and Henri Concas (a funny hairdresser and a great friend). This year again, Philippe Marchand, our incomparable Monsieur Loyal, will host the festival.
Nice Premium: Finally, what do you hope for from this 2010 edition?
FM: Laughter and good humor. This year Sian d’Aqui celebrated its 10th anniversary; it’s an opportunity to salute and thank the 650 households that have joined our association, the media (with Nice Premium at the forefront) who have always supported us before the curtain falls…
