Amour(s) sans frontières, a musical to win back Aubiers
Completely composed and performed by residents of Aubiers and the northern district of Bordeaux, the musical “Love Without Limits” plays this Friday, January 20 in a packed village hall at Grand Parc. The actors hope to repeat the experience at the Bordeaux Opera soon.
Friday night at the Salle des fêtes du Grand Parc, most of Aubiers takes place. On the floor and in the stands, but especially on the stage, where the whole circle will express itself, from the youngest to the oldest, through the musical, “Amours)s sans frontières”.
This West side story from Bordeaux tells of love at first sight thwarted by the weight of family and religious traditions. Habib, originally from Algeria, and Tan, from Vietnam, met in 1972, then after an arranged marriage, lost sight of each other, before meeting again 50 years later at the Aubiers Senior Club.
When the first granddaughter is separated from her lover by confinement, parental prejudice seems to condemn the story to repeat itself… But everything ends well, contrary to the famous models Bernstein and Sondheim.
“Turn a gloomy page”
The whole thing is punctuated by some choreography – special mention of CRS released on Thriller, by Michael Jackson… – and percussion playing on stage. Titles from the period for some were performed live by a children’s choir, others were recorded by actors, and sung in replay. Three beautifully packaged songs have even been written and composed especially for the occasion.
“We wanted something festive, positive and traveling between cultures and nationalities in the neighbourhood, said Wahid Chakib, associate director of Bordeaux ALIFS, which is in charge of the project. We want to turn a bleak page, between Covid and a climate of violence between cities [marqué par le meurtre de Lionel aux Aubiers, NDLR]. What could be better for that than a musical with and for the residents, who have done everything from A to Z? »
For 5 months, all of Bordeaux’s navy was actually involved: sets were designed during workshops at Garage Moderne, costumes at Espace Textile de Bacalan, Bordeaux Lac schoolchildren singing, people from Edouard Vaillant’s college dancing…
The other side of the environment
About twenty adults participated in the writing and theater group, including Elie, the eldest of the troupe, whose name was recognized when he entered the stage, in Habib’s old skin.
“I just left for a writing workshop, but I was kindly stuck in this, says this retired real estate agent who lives in Aubiers. The idea is to show another aspect of the environment, made of friendliness and solidarity, that doesn’t come to the fore often. We talk about Aubiers when there is damage, not about what libraries, Senior Clubs, or Education Farms do. »
“I always heard bad things about Les Aubiers when I never felt in any danger here”, says Zoé, 35 years old. Because this professional carpenter often came from his Ravezies accommodation in Lac’s library, where the practice took place and where he was offered to participate in the project.
“I’ve never done theater but I thought it was good to try, take advantage of this opportunity. The important thing is to have fun! »
Culture for all
And his joy on stage shows when he’s interpreting a young Habib or one of his other small roles, and he’s pushing the song in German, his mother tongue. Just like Martine, the dean of the team, who discovered the workshop by chance.
“I once came to the library like that, for a walk. Since college I dreamed of doing theatre. When I retired, I had found the troops but paid off, and the price was prohibitive. »
Therefore, the mission was completed for Nathalie Landrit, who heads the Lac Bordeaux Library, who initiated the project.
“The library is the only cultural venue that is free and open to everyone in the district, and many users have told us of their desire to develop artistic practices. But there is nothing at Les Aubiers, there are no music or dance schools, and enrolling elsewhere costs money. »
Funding from the City of Education and the city hall of Bordeaux, among other things, made it possible to offer, through this musical production, introductions to the Bordeaux circus school for 12 CP children from the Jean Monnet school – their number opened the show -, or dance lessons for university students.
From Aubiers to the Grand Théâtre?
The adults of the troupe also find ways to discuss it with their loved ones, like Fatiha, 48, from Morocco and in Bordeaux for 13 years:
“Respect is very important to me, but there are things we strive for, like marriage. When my children ask me the question: “Should you marry a Muslim?” “Can one marry a Frenchman?” “, “Will my parents agree? I can’t properly express what I’m thinking and the drama helped me. »
“Amour(s) sans frontières” rejects other forms of communitarianism, namely neighbors. When one character’s mother wants to ban her son from associating with the “trash” living in Aubiers, he receives ridicule from the village hall!
To continue to break the glass wall, Wahid Chakib campaigned for the musical to be played again, at the Bordeaux Opera. And what does the logical imperfection of the non-professional troupe mean to the director: “They are not amateurs, they are human beings who speak to us from the heart.”
