Paper theatre in the service of dramaturgy

Public presentation by students from the École Nationale Supérieure des Arts de la Marionnette (14th class, 1st year).

This presentation marks the culmination of more than two and a half weeks of exploration and practice in paper theatre, guided by Narguess Majd and Alain Lecucq (Papierthéâtre company).
Based on a selection of poems by three women poets and activists – Alfonsina Storni (Argentina), Madeleine Riffaud (France) and Forugh Farrokhzad (Iran) – the students will alternate between directing, working in the workshop, where they will design the sets, and on stage, where they will learn about acting and animation.

The students will be accompanied on stage by 2 top students from the guitar class at the Conservatoire Musique et Danse Ardenne Métropole, coached by their teacher Xavier Suarez.

Poems from the collection La folie du Jasmin by Madeleine Riffaud (Éditions Tirésias Michel Reynaud) and the collection Le mois d’octobre naît avec ses matins clairs by Alfonsina Storni – Translation: Caroline Lahougue (Editions Marguerite Waknine)
Persian poems from the collections Une re-naissance and Le Mur by the poet Forough Farrokhzad – Translation: Narguess Majd

With thanks to Tirésias Michel Reynaud and Marguerite Waknine for their kind permission, and to the Conservatoire Musique et Danse Ardenne Métropole for its participation.

Narguess Majd is a puppeteer specialising in paper theatre and dramaturgy. She studied theatre and puppetry at Tehran University before joining the Papierthéâtre company, which she now directs.

Alain Lecucq is the founder of the Papierthéâtre company and one of the pioneers of paper theatre, a technique that first appeared in England in the early 19th century. Trained at the Little Angel Theatre in London, he first devoted himself to shadow theatre, then to paper theatre.